Local Band Directors Donna Cooper, Kevin Cooper and Allyson Patterson to march in 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® with the Band Directors Marching Band
Following its amazing inaugural appearance in the 2022 Rose Parade,® Saluting America’s Band Directors project is bringing together band directors from across the country to New York City on November 23, 2023 under the theme, “America’s band directors: We teach music. We teach life.”
Donna Cooper a band director in the West Chester Area School District, her husband, Kevin Cooper, a retired band director, and Allyson Patterson a band director in Downingtown Area School District, have been selected to join a marching band of 400 band directors from across the country in the historic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® on November 23, 2023.
The Saluting America’s Band Directors parade entry will again convey its theme, “America’s band directors: We teach music. We teach life.” to recognizethe extraordinary dedication and accomplishments of band directors and music educators everywhere. Throughout their careers, the music educators in this band have collectively mentored and taught hundreds of thousands of students. These professionals not only teach and direct music, but they also teach about life itself
The band will be directed by nationally known music educator and innovative band director Jon Waters.
The sponsoring organization behind the Saluting America’s Band Directors project is the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation, based in Pickerington, Ohio. The foundation was created to recognize and carry on the work of the late Mike Sewell, who dedicated his life to the school and community music programs in Pickerington and the Central Ohio area for almost 40 years.
How to see Saluting America’s Band Directors Marching Band: The Parade starts at 8:30 but the group may not reach the TV coverage portion of the parade until 9:00. The TV cameras are at the very end of the parade. The Band Director’s Marching Band is second in the parade lineup!
Here is the link to the home page of the Band Director’s Marching Band https://banddirectorsalute.org/– it provides information about the group and the parade.
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!
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:
LEADERSHIP ACADEMY Applicationsare 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.
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.
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.
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
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:
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
READ THE GUIDELINES BELOW AND FOLLOW THEM. Deviation from the guidelines below can result in a lowered score, or disqualification.
Review the posted audition requirements for your instrument or voice part carefully.
The deadline for auditions to be submitted is 11:59PM on 11/19/2022. Do not wait until the last minute to submit your audition. Technology or internet issues can cause delays in submitting. Late auditions will not be accepted.
Use a device or app that will record a video in a file format compatible with the Submittable website. The built-in microphone and video camera of most modern phones and laptops is sufficient for an accurate recording. However, it is recommended that students review their recordings for sound quality and make adjustments as necessary.
Each music excerpt must be recorded from start to finish without cuts and/or splices. Students’ hands/body/face must be visible in the video.
Each separate excerpt and scale should be recorded in a separate video (exception: percussion scales are recorded in a single uncut video and percussion rudiments are recorded in a single uncut video).
When recording an audition video, no identifying clothing may be worn (i.e. no school t-shirts, no name identification, no PMEA, NAfME All Eastern or National shirts). Additionally, please do not include any identifying information in the video file name or in the content of the recording (i.e. your name or school name).
There is no requirement to perform from memory. Students are permitted to read from sheet music for any of the audition requirements.
There can be NO use of any device that can be perceived to give aid to a student (i.e. no earphones,airpods, tuner, metronome, etc.)
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.
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:
Two prepared excerpts. Excerpts are listed below by instrument and should be performed in their entirety for the recorded audition.
Selected major scales. Students should prepare the complete list of required scales posted by instrument. Selected scales for the recorded audition will be posted on November 13.
A short-term preparation piece (“sight reading”) that will be posted on November 13.
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.
Rudiments: Prepare all 40 PAS rudiments. Four of the rudiments will be selected for the audition and will be posted on Nov. 13 (along with the etude excerpts and required scales). All rudiments are to be performed Open-Closed-Open. (slow to fast to slow or soft to loud to soft) as specified on the PAS sheet.
Don’t forget to Register for the D-12 Fall In-Service which is being held at Phoenixville Middle School on Tuesday, November 7th. Registration can be accessed on the PMEA D-12 website and will remain open through Friday ,October 27th.
President’s Update – Hannah Knauss, Downingtown Middle School
Welcome back to another year of music making and education in D12. I am excited to begin my two year role as the President of D12. For those whom I haven’t met, my name is Hannah Knauss, and I am the choral director at Downingtown Middle School. I have been involved in both the local and state levels of PMEA for my entire music education career. If you are new to PMEA D12 – welcome! Make sure to join our facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/pmea12/
I shared with the board at our September meeting that my three goals for this year are:
Examine our roles and responsibilities of the board to ensure we are meeting the needs of our members.
Supportthe music educators of D12 through professional development and engagement.
Showcasethe talents of our students through the student performance opportunities
Registration is working so that only the director can register and pay for the auditions. Students are not able to register on their own.Use a school district credit card, a parent booster credit card, or your own and submit for reimbursement.
The first thing that people notice about music teachers is your talent and passion. However, the characteristic that impresses me the most is your ability to organize, plan, and execute! You can take ideas, people, random materials, sound, and put it together to make some amazing performances and life experiences. But what most people don’t see is the PLANNING and the TIME it takes. So how about a couple of tools to help! Here is the link to the PMEAMarketing Toolkit. It has already prepared materials and ideas that you can grab, use, customize to your situation. This resource has been developed by music teachers just like you and the work is waiting for you to use. And while you are online, go to the link for the PMEA Calendar for Local Advocacy. It gives you a plain, month-by-month plan for things you can easily incorporate into your schedule to advocate for your music program in your local community. Have a great start to your school year!
PMEA Membership Renewal:
Please remember to renew your PMEA membership! By joining our community of professional music educators, you have a chance to connect with other teachers, gain insight and ideas from NAfME and PMEA publications, and provide more performance opportunities for your students. Our community needs your voice, your expertise, and your input! Visit https://www.pmea.net/membership-information/
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!
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.
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!
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.
NAfMEneeds 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.
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/
