September 2009
Volume 75, Number 1

Ready or not, time is coming.  I had to write this note in a hurry.  I just got back from China on the 3^rd of August and had stayed with my mom there for more than two months in the summer.  Everything was wonderful until I was on the way back to the States.  The flight was delayed because of the bad weather in Beijing, so I did not catch the flight in Hong Kong and had to stay in hotel there and struggled to reschedule the rest of journey with different airline companies. Being on the stand-by list at Los Angeles, staying overnight, and missing flight again because of not changing watch time at Dallas, I finally arrived in Monroe after three-day hard time on the journey.  I am glad I am here and hope all of you had a wonderful and restful summer and ready for the new school year and the All- State events in the fall semester.

Thanks to Mr. Lambert for his arrangement, so I still can come to the August board meeting.

On my orchestra report in May, I already gave out the information of the All-State Orchestra conductor, repertoire, the contact information of nine districts’ audition chairs, and the first round tape audition deadline for this year, please go to our newly built and beautifully designed website to check out.

I have already ordered the music and communicated with the conductor through e-mail.  He wanted to keep the same rehearsal schedule as the last year’s. 

I know all of you will be busy when school starts.  That is why I try to find a way to make things easier for you and me.  I will ask our website master to put all the All-State orchestra forms on line, so you and your students can get them anytime you need them.

Last year in the first round tape audition, some of you sent in CDs instead of audiotapes.  I really like it.  They are lighter, easy to listen and manage, and cost less and easy to buy and to mail.  Please let me know you can do it with CDs or some of you still need tapes, so I can prepare earlier for you.

Last year we worked together and succeeded in all events of All-State.  I believe this year we will do the same thing and succeed again. 

I would like to thank in advance the district audition chairs: Elaine Webb, Chris Frazior, Syll-Young Olson, Carl Lacoste, Michael Buckles, Michael Blaney, Rabon Vercher, Sharon McNamara-Horne, and James Rinehart.