Music Educators of Chester, Delaware, and Philadelphia Counties
Once again, PMEA D-12 will be hosting a day of In-Service for Music Educators and Music Education Majors on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
The In-Service will be held at Phoenixville High School. Registration will begin at 8:00am and the final session will end at 2:30pm with ample time for Lunch on your own in beautiful downtown Phoenixville!
Stay tuned as Registration Information will be available shortly…please plan to attend!
Greetings PMEA D12 Members!
June is finally here! Whether you have already crossed the finish line or are approaching it with anticipation, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the tremendous effort and dedication you have poured into your classrooms. Speaking for myself, this past year has been a bit exhausting as we transitioned back to a fully “normal” schedule. Were we really this busy before 2020? 😂
As we approach the summer break, I’d like to share some important PMEA updates:
PMEA D12 AUDITIONS 2023
For the upcoming year, PMEA D12 will be returning to in-person auditions for our Band/Orchestra/Choral festivals. Auditions will be held Sat, Nov 18, 2023 at Bayard Rustin High School. Audition information and material is posted on our website: https://www.pmea12.org/district-12-auditions
PMEA D12 BOARD OPENINGS – interest/nominations due by 6/13
We are always seeking interested members to help with various volunteer positions in PMEA District 12. In particular, we are currently seeking interest/nominations for the following:
D12 Vice President: Elected by nomination and membership vote. The member in this role serves a 2-year term as VP, followed by a 2-year term as president. If you are interested in running for this position, or more information, please email d12pmea@gmail.com by Tues, June 13
D12 Treasurer: we are seeking detail-oriented members to help with this important job! This position will be broken into two people so it is more manageable
Curriculum & Instruction: If you are passionate about enhancing educational experiences, promoting innovative teaching methods, and inspiring fellow educators, we invite you to consider taking on this important position.
Please submit your interest or nomination to d12pmea@gmail.com by Tuesday, June 13
SUMMER CONFERENCE
We hope to see you at the PMEA Summer Conference – July 17-19 at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg Hershey. Registration is $75 for Active Members ($35 for Collegiate & Retired Members) and includes all meals and sessions during the event.
Among the highlights of the Summer Conference are:
Find the whole Summer Conference schedule on the PMEA website.
LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
Applications are now being accepted for the Tenth Annual PMEA Leadership Academy. The program will begin with the 2023 PMEA Summer Conference (July 18 & 19 at the Red Lion Harrisburg Hershey Hotel), requires four written assignments with conference calls through the year and will conclude with graduation during the 2024 PMEA Annual Conference, April 18-20 at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie.
Visit the PMEA Leadership Academy section of the PMEA website for more details. Registration is $75, however the fee will be returned upon the successful completion of the program. Deadline to apply: Wednesday, June 14.
Wishing you all a restful and wonderful summer!
Steve Selfridge
President, PMEA District 12
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION is Friday, May 19, 2023
PMEA District 12 annually awards up to (3) scholarships to high school seniors who will be majoring in music education at an accredited college or university. There is more information below, but first here is the link to share with your students who would like to apply: https://pmeadistrict12.submittable.com/submit
There will be one scholarship for choral, one for band, and one for orchestra that will be awarded to a string player. These scholarships will be named in honor of Carmen Culp, Richard Merrell, and Richard Miller in appreciation for their service to the membership of District 12 and the music education profession.
The amount of each scholarship for the class of 2023 will be $1000.00.
The money will be sent directly to the student in the form of a check. Verification of acceptance to a music education program will be required. District 12 reserves the right to withhold any of the scholarships if none of the candidates meet established criteria.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Candidates must have participated in a PMEA District 12 High School Band, Orchestra, or Choral Festival.
The candidate’s director must be a current member of PMEA.
Must be enrolled as a music education major at an accredited college or university.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Fill out the application below before May 19th, 2023.
https://pmeadistrict12.submittable.com/submit
SELECTION PROCESS:
The District 12 Scholarship Committee will meet to review all applications.
The Scholarship Committee will present to the Executive Board their recommendations at the spring meeting. Any members of the Executive Committee whose own students are applicants will be excused from the selection process.
Winners will be announced no later than June 1, 2023. The award will be presented to the winners at his/her own school during an appropriate ceremony, if possible.
PMEA District 12 will once again be offering an in-person, fall in-service Day for all music teachers. (PMEA Members, Non-Members, Collegiate Members)
Please click here for the information packet about the inservice.
Date: Tuesday, November 8th
Location: Phoenixville Area School District at Phoenixville Area Middle School
Time: 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Act 48 Credit will be available.
Payment: Payment methods include credit card or check.
**Click here for an invoice to submit to your schools**
Pre-Registration on Submittable is strongly encouraged. Deadline is Monday October 24th, 2022.
REGISTER HERE: https://pmeadistrict12.submittable.com/submit/239110/d12-fall-inservice-registration
We look forward to seeing our music colleagues once again, so please try to join us!
If you have any questions regarding scheduling, email Shawn Lee at lees@pasd.com.
Other questions can be directed to Maryellen Byrne at mbyrne@gvsd.org.
*Questions about payment can be directed to d12pmea@gmail.com.
Retired PMEA Member $5
Non-PMEA Member $35
PCMEA Member FREE
College Non-PCMEA Member $10
Download and Browse the In-Service packet below-
UPDATE! 11/13/22
Scales, Choral Excerpts, Percussion Rudiments, and Instrumental Sight-Reading Excerpts have been released! CLICK HERE TO ACCESS COMPLETE AUDITION GUIDE AND INFO
AUDITION WINDOW OPENS MONDAY, 11/14/22 at 12:00am Submittable link: https://pmeadistrict12.submittable.com/submit
Sat 11/19/2022 Audition window CLOSES on Submittable at 11:59PM 
*****DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO UPLOAD YOUR VIDEOS. DELAYS CAN BE CAUSED BY TECHNICAL ISSUES OR INCORRECT VIDEO FILE SIZE/FORMAT. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE FOR LATE SUBMISSIONS.*******
All auditions for District Ensembles will be held through video submission this November, using the Submittable platform. Students will register themselves and pay the registration fee using the Submittable link. Please review our official D12 Audition Policies HERE.
DIRECTOR INFO
Directors who have students submitting an audition, be sure to do the following:
1) Fill out the Director Registration Form (must be a current PMEA Member).
2) Read the Audition requirements, D12 Audition Policies, and Video Audition Guidelines in full
3) Communicate all information about auditions promptly to your students
4) Directors of participating students will be assigned video scoring duties. Be prepared to complete your judging assignments in a timely manner. (11/21 – 11/27)
5) Plan to attend the mandatory meeting on Sat, Dec 3 at 10am, Garnet Valley High School. Folders will be distributed and important information discussed.
Mon 11/21/2022 Directors of participating students review and score submissions
Sun 11/27/2022 9pm Deadline for participating directors to complete assigned scoring
SAT 12/3/2022 10am MANDATORY in-person meeting for directors of students who have auditioned. Garnet Valley High School, 552 Smithbridge Rd, Glen Mills, PA. Breakfast served starting at 9am. Important information will be discussed, folders/paperwork will be distributed.
FESTIVAL DATES & LOCATIONS:
District 12 Chorus Jan 12-14 at Octorara HS (Scott Cullen), Guest Conductor Dr. Marci Major
District 12 Orchestra Jan 26-28 at Conestoga HS(Chris Nation), Guest Conductor Dr. Timothy Dixon
District 12 Band Feb 9-11 location TBD, Guest Conductor, Dr. Andrew Yozviak
Region 6 Chorus Feb 16 – 18* at West Chester University (Jon Kreamer, Ryan Battin, hosts) Guest conductor Dr. Amelia Garbisch. (note – this is one week earlier than originally scheduled.)
Region 6 Orchestra Mar 9 -11 at Bayard Rustin HS (Katrina Kelly, host), Guest Conductor Emily Freeman-Brown
Region 6 Band Mar 23-25 hosted by District 11 – details coming soon.
GUIDELINES FOR AUDITION VIDEO RECORDING & SUBMISSIONS
CHORAL AUDITION MATERIAL
Students should prepare the pieces listed below in their entirety. Selected portions to be recorded for the audition will be posted on Nov 13.
Just as the Tide Was Flowing
Vaughan Williams – Galaxy Music Corporation
JW Pepper #380972 https://www.jwpepper.com/Just-as-the-Tide-Was-Flowing/380972.item#.YqtQdhPMKrN
Practice Tracks: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aG0oxeZVloS1IdmTodhs0BwKq2urtXAi?usp=sharing
In Remembrance
(from “Requiem”)
Eleanor Daley – Jubilate Music Group, LLC
JW Pepper #3037793 https://www.jwpepper.com/In-Remembrance/3037793.item#.YqtQcRPMKrM
PIANO ACCOMPANIST AUDITIONS
Students should prepare the accompaniment to the above choral audition pieces. In addition, students should prepare to play open score for both choral audition pieces (i.e. S/A, T/B, S/T, A/B, etc.).
INSTRUMENTAL AUDITION MATERIAL
*Aug 8, 2022: Special note regarding Contra Clarinet: The SPEC Council has decided to remove the Contra-Bass/Contra-Alto Clarinet from Region and All-State Festivals. District 12 students on these instruments will still be able to audition on these instruments for the District Festivals for the 2022-2023 season, but will be unable to advance to Region and All-State Festivals due to the SPEC Council’s decision. In the event that All-State Band or Wind Ensemble instrumentation requires contra clarinet, at-large auditions will be held.
Auditions for District Band and Orchestra will consist of the following:
INSTRUMENTAL DIRECTORS: Please review the audition excerpts and let us know as soon as possible if you see any need for corrections. Email corrections to president@pmea12.org. The deadline for any updates/corrections is August 15, 2022. After that date, all excerpts will be judged exactly as posted. All of the excerpts below are transcribed from published sources, and will be judged exactly as they appear below.
All-State/At-Large Auditions
Click here for the complete schedule of At-Large All-State auditions. Including Harp, Jazz, Accompanist, and Concert Band, Wind Ensemble At-Large instruments.
Information about All-State auditions can be found at the PMEA website
PMEA MUSIC EDUCATION
ADVOCACY DAY
Wednesday, March 1st
MAKE IT EASY FOR ME TO BE INVOLVED
Mark off 5 minutes of your time ON YOUR CALENDAR RIGHT NOW for Wednesday, March 1st to send a message to your state representatives advocating for your passion, music education. PMEA will do all the work ahead of time and have an online form ready for you to use. Get your parent groups, family members and friends to join you! You don’t have to be a music teacher to support music education. It takes just minutes and creates a big advocacy impact.
I CAN DO A LITTLE BIT MORE
Plan to call or schedule a virtual meeting with your representative and/or senator on Wednesday, March 1st. PMEA has done all the work and has documents with information and directions ready for you to use on their Advocacy Day webpage.
Looking forward to joining our voices together on March 1st in support of music education!
D-12 will once again be offering a Fall In-service Day for all Music Teachers on Tuesday, November 8th. The In-Service will be hosted by the Phoenixville School District and will run from 8:00-2:00. Act 48 Credit will be available. We look forward to seeing our Music colleagues once again, so “Save the Date” and please try to join us! Look for Registration and further details in the coming weeks!
PMEA D12 Update Aug 8, 2022
Hello PMEA D12 Members!
Dare I say it out loud, it is now AUGUST and I’m sure we are all doing our best to squeeze in as much summer as we can in the next few weeks! I hope you all have had a restful and rejuvenating summer so far.
Please take a few minutes to review our updates below, and stay up-to-date at our website: https://www.pmea12.org/
Also, if you are on Facebook, please consider joining our private Facebook group “PMEA D12 Educator Community” for updates and members-only sharing and discussion – https://www.facebook.com/groups/pmea12/
Updates are listed below! Thank you and please reach out if you have any questions, updates, or announcements to share in our next communication.
Steve Selfridge
D12 PMEA President
Garnet Valley High School
————————————————————————
URGENT – Host for Region VI Chorus needed!
We are URGENTLY seeking a host for Region VI Chorus this year. The date for the festival is Feb 23-25. These wonderful events can only happen for our students if PMEA members are willing to host! If your venue cannot accommodate a festival, but you are willing to serve as coordinator, consider volunteering to co-host with another director. Contact our Festival Coordinator Jeff Hart jhart@haverfordsd.net and D12 President Steve Selfridge president@pmea12.org if you can help!
RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP
We are appreciative to have such a vibrant and dedicated group of music educators as members of PMEA here in District 12. If you haven’t done so already, remember to renew your PMEA membership. The official membership year for 2022-23 began on July 1. See details at the PMEA website here: https://www.pmea.net/membership-information/.
One of our continuing goals is to encourage all music teachers in our area to join as PMEA members. We invite our current members to reach out to colleagues and encourage them to become active members.
Membership in PMEA also includes membership in NAfME: The National Association for Music Education. Approximately 1/3 of your PMEA/NAfME dues is allocated to support the many PMEA programs that are offered. The remaining 2/3 portion of the dues goes to NAfME to support publications, activities and programs. Check out the links below to make sure you’re making the most of your PMEA/NAfME membership!
PMEA BAND, ORCHESTRA, & CHORUS FESTIVAL AUDITIONS
All audition information is posted on our website here. Auditions will be held via Submittable video. Please review the audition excerpts and share with your private teachers. The deadline to report any misprints or corrections is Aug 15, 2022. After that date, all excerpts will be judged as posted.
Special note regarding Contra Clarinet: The SPEC Council has decided to remove the Contra-Bass/Contra-Alto Clarinet from Region and All-State Festivals. District 12 students on these instruments will still be able to audition on these instruments for the District Festivals for the 2022-2023 season, but will be unable to advance to Region and All-State Festivals due to the SPEC Council’s decision. In the event that All-State Band or Wind Ensemble instrumentation requires contra clarinet, at-large auditions will be held.
ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE SCHOOL FESTS
We are hoping to have fests this upcoming school year. The six fests in D12 are: 5th/6th Chesco Band, 5th/6th Delco Band, 5th/6th String, Elementary Chorus, 7th/8th Chorus, 7th/8th String. Some of the fests have hosts and they are starting their preliminary planning – more information will be sent out as it becomes available. We still need hosts for 5th/6th String and 5th/6th Delco Band. If interested in hosting or participating please contact Kathleen Boyer, Fest Coordinator at fests@pmea12.org.
OPEN POSITIONS
Do you have an interest in becoming more active in PMEA D12? Our PMEA activities and initiatives are only made possible by enthusiastic and dedicated teachers like you! We currently have two open committee chair positions – Music Performance Assessment (MPA) Events Chair, and Curriculum & Instruction (C&I) Chair. Descriptions of the duties are included below. Contact Steve Selfridge president@pmea12.org if you have any interest or questions!
Music Performance Assessment Chair: Coordinates hosts for Music Performance Assessment Events in PMEA D12. Communicates with MPA Event hosts regarding procedures and guidelines set forth by PMEA. Keeps the PMEA D12 Board informed on matters involving MPA events. Attends two to three board meetings a year.
Curriculum & Instruction Chair: Develops and coordinates resources and initiatives that support music curriculum and instruction in PMEA D12. Coordinates with the Professional Development committee, and keeps the PMEA D12 Board updated on C&I initiatives. Attends two to three board meetings a year.
TEACHER GRANTS
D12 annually awards grants to teachers to fund classroom initiatives and projects. We have typically done this at the end of a school year, but moved it to the beginning of the school year. The deadline for submissions is September 15th, with recipients being announced by October 1st.
IN-SERVICE
Save-the-Date: The PD Committee is working on a tentative in-service day for Tuesday, Nov 8. More information to follow.
ADVOCACY
Meet your Advocacy Representative for District 12 – George Weaver!
According to a recent PMEA survey, half of you didn’t know who our advocacy rep is. My bad! My name is George Weaver and I teach K-4 general/vocal music for Chichester SD at Hilltop Elementary School. I did my undergrad at IUP and my masters at WCU. I taught HS bands for 12 years before teaching general/vocal music for now more than twice as long. More importantly, I am here to represent YOU in advocating for music education in YOUR SCHOOL, in District 12, as well as Pennsylvania and beyond. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas at advocacy@pmea12.org.
NAfME needs US to be a voice for OUR STUDENTS in the Virtual Hill Week for Music Education event the week of September 19! This is a great opportunity for us to share the importance of music education with our members of Congress. The registration form is easy and short. The link is below. Register now! This is a virtual event, so you don’t need to bother with sub plans! The registration deadline is September 9th, but register now while you are thinking of it. More information will be forwarded to you closer to the event. If you have any questions, please contact advocacy@nafme.org.
NAfME Virtual Hill Week: Link to Registration
ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM PMEA D12 MEMBERS:
The Kennett Symphony Children’s Chorus is announcing their upcoming dates and auditions. See flyers below, and for more information visit https://www.ksccmusic.org/
DATES
All PMEA Events can be found on our Google Calendar here: https://www.pmea12.org/calendar
Nov 14-19 – PMEA AUDITION WINDOW on Submittable
Jan 12-14 – District 12 Chorus at Octorara High School (Doreen Steinmacher)
Jan 26-28 – District 12 Orchestra at Conestoga High School (Chris Nation)
Feb 9-11 – District 12 Band at Coatesville High School (Gabriel Hughes)
Feb 23-25 – Region VI Chorus (HOST NEEDED)
Mar 9-11 – Region VI Orchestra at Rustin High School (hosted by Katrina Kelly)
Mar 23-25 – Region VI Band
April 19-23, 2023 – PMEA All-State Conference at Kalahari
PMEA District 12 annually awards up to (3) scholarships to high school seniors who will be majoring in music education at an accredited college or university. There is more information below, but first here is the link to share with your students who would like to apply: https://pmeadistrict12.submittable.com/submit
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION is May 15, 2022
There will be one scholarship for choral, one for band, and one for orchestra that will be awarded to a string player. These scholarships will be named in honor of Carmen Culp, Richard Merrell, and Richard Miller in appreciation for their service to the membership of District 12 and the music education profession.
The amount of each scholarship for the class of 2022 will be $1000.00.
The money will be sent directly to the student in form of a check. Verification of acceptance to a music education program will be required. District 12 reserves the right to withhold any of the scholarships if none of the candidates meet established criteria.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
APPLICATION PROCESS:
SELECTION PROCESS:
D12 Colleagues:
I hope everyone is surviving the Fall and things are going well for you! Please check in and let us know how things are going on our D12 Facebook Group (private only to members): https://www.facebook.com/groups/pmea12
We have some very important information to share with you regarding our 2021 PMEA Fests and Festivals. Read below and mark down the important dates!
Steve Selfridge
PMEA District 12 President
Garnet Valley High School
Elementary & Middle School Fests
It is time for fest hosts to start planning to host their fests, but after surveying hosts and participants in D12, we have decided to put our fests “on hold” at this time. School districts are reluctant to give permission to allow students from other schools in their buildings and administrators are reluctant to allow students to go out of their own building on a field trip. We are also very concerned about 5/6 fests since most of those students are not vaccinated. If things loosen up and there is still time to plan and execute a fest in March or April, we will do our best to help make it happen. We welcome your comments and concerns. (Fest Coordinator Kathleen Boyer -fests@pmea12.org)
High School Festivals
Our 2022 High School Festivals remain on schedule as planned. Any plans are subject to change as needed due to the current COVID situation in our state, local counties, and/or host school districts. We will communicate any changes if and when they happen. For now, we are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to hold the festivals. Note that this year we have made the adjustment that all high school festivals will be held as single-day events. Note our audition and festival dates below. Audition information can be found on our page here.
All-State Update
There are several important changes to the All-State Festival for this year.
Important Festival Dates
All auditions will be held through video submission using the Submittable platform. Audition materials and complete information are available on our 2021 Auditions Page. The submittable link will be posted on the 2021 Auditions page on Nov 3. Directors do not need to pre-register students – Students will register themselves and pay the registration fee using the Submittable link. Sight-reading and scale selections will be posted Nov. 2. (Please note that we have corrected errors in the excerpts as reported by PMEA members up through mid-September. At this point, we will not make any further corrections and students should play the ink on the page). All-state audition materials can be found here (sign-in required).
11/3/2021
D12 Audition window OPENS on Submittable at 12:00AM
11/9/2021
D12 Audition window CLOSES on Submittable at 11:59PM
11/12/2021
Directors of participating students review and score submissions
11/17/2021
Deadline for participating directors to complete assigned scoring
11/20/2021
10:00am Rustin High School – MANDATORY in-person meeting for directors of students who have auditioned. Results will be released and folders/paperwork will be distributed. Breakfast available starting at 9am.
1/3/2022
DISTRICT RE-AUDITIONS – Band/Chorus/Orchestra – window OPENS on Submittable at 12:00AM
1/6/2022
DISTRICT RE-AUDITIONS – Band/Chorus/Orchestra – window CLOSES on Submittable at 11:59PM
1/14/2022
District 12 Orchestra @ Penncrest HS. Ben Weaver, host; Ovidiu Marinescu, Guest Conductor, Concert at 7:30pm
1/16/2022
All-State Orchestra Submittable Window Opens
1/28/2022
District 12 Band @Marple Newtown High School – Mark Stanford (Springfield HS), host; Dr. Jenny Neff, Guest Conductor, Concert 7:30pm
1/30/2022
All-State Band Submittable Window Opens
2/4/2022
District 12 Chorus @Unionville High School – Hannah Knauss (Interboro HS), host; Arreon A. Harley-Emerson, Guest Conductor, Concert at 7:30pm
2/13/2022
All-State Chorus Submittable Window Opens
2/25/2022
Region 6 Orchestra @ Lower Merion HS, Jessica Villante, host
3/11/2022
Region 6 Band @ Rustin HS, Mike Shoremount, host; Tim Holtan, Guest Conductor
3/25/2022
Region 6 Chorus @ Methacton HS, Liz Francisco, host