November 2009
Volume 75, Number 2

“Thank you” to District 3 band and choir directors for hosting our All-State second round auditions.  Thanks especially to our host personnel, Scotty Walker and Holly Grefe, for use of  the Lafayette High campus. 

“Congratulations” to directors and participants in All-State choirs.   We begin activities on Thursday, November 19 with our Women’s Chorale at 11:30a.m. and Mixed Choir at 6p.m.  Participants in both groups have received a schedule of times and locations for their respective rehearsals and performance.  This schedule is located on our website:  lmeamusic.org. 

No choir member will be allowed to participate without ‘on-site’ adult supervision by a registered chaperone.

Donna McCommon, Pearl HS in Pearl, MS, will serve as clinician for the Women’s Chorale.  Dr. James Jordan, Westminster Choirs, will serve as clinician for the Mixed All-State Choir.  His clinic for directors is entitled “Techniques for Immediate Improvement of Intonation and Choral Sound Through Conducting and Pedagogy”.  This session is scheduled for Friday at 3p.m.  It is certain to be a clinic with valuable information and interaction.

Dr. Laura Thompson, Louisiana Tech, will present two clinics of great interest on Friday that focus on the musical specifics of festival preparation:  “Preparing Your Choir for Festival – Choice of Literature; Solving Intonation Problems; Tone Quality, Articulation, Phrasing, etc.”

Luana Marler with J.W. Pepper will present a reading workshop on Friday with packets to distribute to those who attend.  J.W. Pepper will host a booth in the exhibits on Friday and Saturday.  We want to welcome them and look forward to expanded representation of choral music exhibit booths.

A brief meeting is scheduled for our nine district vocal contacts at 8p.m. on Thursday evening in the Chairman’s Library.   Our official vocal division business meeting is scheduled for Saturday morning, 8:15a.m. in the Mississippi Queen/Delta Queen room.  Please call in advance to submit agenda items: 985-493-2675 or 337-349-6972.

LMEA will host the first State Solo Festival, Saturday, May 8, at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches.    This initial festival will include only high school soloists.  Plans are to expand the event to other grades as interest develops.

Best wishes for wonderful fall and seasonal concerts.   I look forward to seeing each of you at the convention.