May 2009
Volume 74, Number 4

It was a great year at the LMEA State Convention and All-State concerts in Baton Rouge.  As the orchestra division chairman, I am pleased that over 100 of our orchestra students were challenged by playing the Tchaikovsky Fourth Symphony.  They made the concert a historical event by performing an entire major symphony in a concert.  Many string students still wanted to keep their music when I asked for the music to be returned after the All-State Orchestra concert. 

 I want to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues who helped make this past All-State Orchestra a great success.  Behind the success were your hard work, dedication, and teaching.

Thank you to Ms. Lupton, the chairman of District VIII in Shreveport, for letting me have an opportunity to work and observe the only Orchestra Large Ensemble Festival in our State.  I was delighted to see and hear 20 orchestra performances.  I found the answer for the success in Baton Rouge.  Without those schools’ orchestra programs around the state, how can we have the All-State Orchestra?  Please let me mention those orchestra directors who brought their orchestras and made contributions to the festival: Ms. Rachel Provenza, Ms. Sue Ellen Coleman, Ms. Jennifer Miranne, Mr. Xuan Liu, Ms. Elaine Webb, Ms. Beverly Houston, Mr. Ardis Case, and Ms. Syll Young Olson.  I hope there will be more orchestra directors who will bring their groups to the festival in the Northern Louisiana area next year.

I also heard three orchestras perform under the directions of Ms. Amy Pan, Ms. Raquel Brown, and Mr. Chris Frazier at the District IV Large Ensemble Festival in Baton Rouge.  I know we have more orchestra programs in the South.  That was why I had a conversation with District IV chairman, Mr. Richard Bresowar, for exploring a possibility of an Orchestra Large Ensemble Festival in his district for the school orchestra programs in southern Louisiana.  I know he was extremely busy with almost sixty instrumental ensembles in his district festival, but he was still interested in the idea and hopefully he will work out something with the board and other districts in the future.  I was really impressed and enjoyed the orchestras that performed in these festivals.

Professor Anthony Maiello from George Mason University will be the All-State Orchestra conductor for this year.  He is a veteran conductor for the LMEA All-State

Ensembles.  I heard he is an excellent conductor and loved by the students who were under his direction in the past All-State performances. So we will have another successful convention and All-State Orchestra concert.

ALL-STATE ORCHESTRA
AUDITION INFORMATION

LMEA All-State Orchestra 1^st round audition tapes or CDs with registration forms, sent in by district audition chairs to the orchestra division chairman, are due on
Friday, September 25.

District Audition Chairs:
District I          Dr. Jason Rinehart-Monroe
District II        Ms. Syll Young Olson
                             Natchitoches site
                      Mr. Rabon Vercher
                             Pineville/Alexandria site
District III        Mr. Mike Blaney-Lafayette
District IV       Mr. Chris Frazier-Baton Rouge
District V        Dr. Michael Buckles-Lake Charles
District VI       Mr. Carl Lacoste-New Orleans
District VII       Mr. Jim Trant-Thibodaux
District VIII      Ms. Elaine Webb-Shreveport
District IV        Ms. Sharon McNamara-Horne
                              Northshore / Covington / Mandeville

The following program,
submitted by professor Anthony J. Maiello,
Director of Instrumental Studies of George Mason University,
is for the 2009 All-State Orchestra Concert:

Celebrations! by Vincent Oppido, pub. TRN
Overture to Candide by Bernstein Boosey & Hawkes
American Salute by Morton Gould, pub. Belwin
The Cowboys by John Williams pub. Hal Leonard
Stars and Stripes (Arr.): Mulhousky pub?