September 2009
Volume 75, Number 1

I just want to take this opportunity to welcome everyone back to a new, fresh, and exciting school year.  I hope that all of you had a restful and enjoyable summer and have been busy these past few weeks shaping and planning a year full of awesome opportunities for your music students.  You may hear this a lot, for I do, but we must believe this: we do have a positive impact on the lives of our students.  Many times, this positive experience is one of few for some, yet one of many for others.  We just need to step back, evaluate why we do what we do, and keep faith in our educational beliefs that we, as music educators, are extremely important and make lasting impressions upon our students.

            The L.M.E.A. All State Jazz Ensemble will hold its auditions at 2^nd round, which is Saturday, October 10, at Lafayette High School.  Please make sure that the proper form is filled out completely and mailed back to me, along with $12 per student/per instrument, no later than Friday, September 18.  The form has been on line on the LMEA website, www.lmeamusic.org, as well as on the L.A.J.E. website at www.lajelouisiana.org.  We will be using SET 2 this year, the same scale requirements as the All State Band audition, and sight-reading is also a requirement.  All of this information, along with the exact audition selections and page numbers, can be found at www.lajelouisiana.org. 

            The following guidelines will be observed for the LMEA All State Jazz Band audition:

1)      Only students who have pre-registered on an official LMEA All State Jazz Band registration form will be allowed to audition.  NO EXCEPTIONS.

2)      The deadline for entry forms and fees is Friday, September 18.

3)      A fee of $12 per student/instrument and a copy of your current MENC/LMEA identification card must accompany all of your students’ entry forms.

4)      Make sure your students have their travel plans set accordingly to be at the audition site prior to their audition time.

5)      All students who have pre-registered are required to check in at the jazz registration table to receive their audition number.  At this time, the student must indicate whether jazz is their 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd choice (Jazz, Band, and Orchestra are the three choices).

6)      Jazz results will be posted at www.lmeamusic.org as well as at www.lajelouisiana.org after all scores have been finalized.

7)      We will be using SET 2 of The Jazz Conception Series by Jim Snidero.  Please refer to the L.A.J.E. website for the exact song titles, page numbers, and scale requirements.  Students will have to perform with the c.d. and must supply their own copy of the audition music.  We will provide the c.d. for accompaniment.

8)      Send all correspondence and applications with fees to:

Andy Pizzo: LMEA Jazz Division Chairman
1020 Marlbrook Dr.
Baton Rouge, LA, 70815

Band Office # = (225)275-1951
Cell Phone # = (225)936-1751
Email = apizzo@ebrschools.org

            Dr. Robert (Bob) Morgan will be our 2009 guest conductor.  Dr. Morgan is the Director of Jazz Studies Emeritus for the Houston High School for Performing and Visual Arts at which he received international notice during his years of teaching.  He retired in 1999.  His educational background includes the following: BA in Music from the University of North Texas; Master in Music from the University of North Texas; and PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana. 

            In closing, I wish everyone a safe and prosperous school year and the best of luck in reaching the young musicians of today and tomorrow.  We will have three great jazz clinics at LMEA from Dr. Morgan, motivational speaker and current jazz saxophonist Duane Huff, and me, along with Galindo Rodriguez and others, putting on a group clinic which will focus on the jazz band rhythm section’s role behind a vocalist or soloist.  Make sure you check the conference schedule because these clinics will be very beneficial to all and I know these gentlemen will cover a wide range of jazz topics.  Also, don’t forget to read my article from the “Louisiana Association for Jazz Education”.  We have some great things going on and lots of information will be forthcoming.