January 6, 2010 Meeting Notes

YVMEA Meeting minutes - January 6, 2010
at Abby's Pizza, Yakima


MINUTES: YVMEA MEETING 1/6/2010 The scene: Abbey’s Pizza, Yakima, Washington, January 6, 2010, 5:30 PM. The front door flies open, bringing with it a blast of wintry air. A lone figure appears in the doorway, silhouetted in the setting sun. “May I help you?” the girl behind the counter whispers in a quavery voice. “Small cheese pizza” rasps the stranger. “Shaken. Not stirred”. “And . . and . . your name, sir?” “May . . . Don May”. (Da duhnt da Dah . . ) Meeting brought to order at 6:01 PM. OLD BUSINESS Don May gave some points of general information: Don is working to trade out the YVMEA website so it can be accessed from a smartphone. Don announced the winners of YVMEA “Teacher of the Year” and “Friend of Music” awards. (Drum roll, please!) Teacher of the Year: Ed Cunnington, outstanding band instructor from East Valley District Friend of Music: Pat Strohsal: Founder and owner of Season’s Music Performance Center in Yakima. A presentation will be made during the Washington Music Educators (WMEA) Statewide Conference in Yakima on Saturday, January 16 at 10:30 AM during the recital hour. 3. Don asked for a volunteer to help coordinate the combined Columbia Basin MEA and YVMEA breakfast to be held during the Sate conference on Sunday, January 17. Someone agreed to do that. 4. Don suggested that someone recommend a topic for a session during next year’s Music Educator Conference. I forget what the topic was. 5. Don suggested that YVMEA create a repertoire list for posting on the YVMEA site, with a special focus on good Christmas and Winter band repertoire. It was suggested that the existing link on the YVMEA site to the Wisconsin School Music Association’s repertoire list seems pretty sufficient already. Don agreed to also add a J.W. Pepper, California and Texas repertoire list. Discussion: Elementary music symposiums: Elementary music educators in attendance excused themselves to discuss privately some ideas for sessions and symposiums sponsored by YVMEA. Suggestions included a “best practices” symposium where teachers bring their best lesson plans and ideas to share. Topics included recorder instruction, grant writing. We are looking at a couple of days during the Spring and Fall. Proposed date by MLK day. Discussion: Solo and Ensemble There has been an ongoing problem with people walking in and out of adjudication sessions during performances. It was suggested that teachers and accompanists be issued badges to allow them access to the rooms, but to prevent parents and students from entering. It was agreed that Bart make these badges to be issued upon teachers/accompanists arrival at the contest. When adding an accompanist to your SOLO/ENSEMBLE group. 1st: click on the draw down menu to see if your accompanist is there. If so select the accompanist 2nd: If accompanist isn't there, type the name (correct spelling) in the slots below and hit save 3rd: Click the draw down menu and select the name of your accompanist 4rd: Click "Save Changes & return to Overview" in the upper left hand corner. Please make sure you are doing this. If you check the draw down menu, some accompanist are triplicated! It was suggested to remind teachers, students, and parents about appropriate behavior during the contest. Don will post a document on the website. Bart provided and update on Solo Ensemble registration. Registration remains open until Jan. 15. This is later than usual. That means the “turnaround” time for teachers to communicate any conflicts or problems with the initial schedule to Bart is very short. Bart will want all directors to look at the initial schedule immediately and email any problems to Bart WITHIN TWO DAYS! That should not be an inconvenience. There was discussion concerning getting P.O.s and checks to Megan before the contest. She should have all checks at least a week before the contest so she can write checks to adjudicators and other creditors. Discussion: Middle School Band and Choir Contest The discussion centered around the lack of time and venue for these contests. The original time and venue (March 16 at Highland High School) has been invalidated due to school testing. Don reminded directors that, if we do not find a venue, the contest will have to be cancelled for this year. YVCC and some other places were suggested, but nothing was settled. Tension mounts. NEW BUSINESS Discussion: Second year Band festival: John Ord of Ted Brown Music discussed the establishment of a second year band festival. Proposed date/venue: March 16 at Prosser HS. Information will be posted on the YVMEA site. Bart wants to remind everyone what a cool guy John is and how much great work he does for school music in our area. Bart was just joking when he pretended to be mad. Ha, ha. Funny Bart. Discussion: Budget cuts: Toppenish: $1.5 million cut in District budget. Yakima: $5 million cut in District budget. These cuts mostly stem from proposed elimination of levy equalization funds proposed by the governor. The test will be whether or not the Legislature restores levy equalization this month. Don would like to know what the impact of budget cuts may do to local music programs. Please alert him if you have any specific information. Tension mounts. Discussion: Harvest Jazz Band concert: Eisenhower and Davis High Schools are cosponsoring a jazz festival again at the Capitol Theater. The Capitol has bumped their original date to April 24. Megan Ley pointed out that this, unfortunately, was the same date as State Solo/Ensemble Contest at CWU. Tension mounts. Discussion: local school bands performing during the state conference: Megan Ley’s 7th grade band will perform as a lab band for Tim Robblee’s presentation Friday afternoon. Ron Gerhartstein’s Jazz 1 performs Sunday afternoon during a symposium led by Ron Carter. Meeting adjourned at 6:56 PM.

MINUTES: YVMEA MEETING 1/6/2010
The scene: Abbey’s Pizza, Yakima, Washington, January 6, 2010, 5:30 PM. The front door flies open, bringing with it a blast of wintry air. A lone figure appears in the doorway, silhouetted in the setting sun. “May I help you?” the girl behind the counter whispers in a quavery voice. “Small cheese pizza” rasps the stranger. “Shaken. Not stirred”. “And . . and . . your name, sir?” “May . . . Don May”. (Da duhnt da Dah . . )

Meeting brought to order at 6:01 PM.
OLD BUSINESS
Don May gave some points of general information:

Don is working to trade out the YVMEA website so it can be accessed from a smartphone.
Don announced the winners of YVMEA “Teacher of the Year” and “Friend of Music” awards. (Drum roll, please!)

Teacher of the Year: Ed Cunnington, outstanding band instructor from East Valley District
Friend of Music: Pat Strohsal: Founder and owner of Season’s Music Performance Center in Yakima.

A presentation will be made during the Washington Music Educators (WMEA) Statewide Conference in Yakima on Saturday, January 16 at 10:30 AM during the recital hour.

3. Don asked for a volunteer to help coordinate the combined Columbia Basin MEA and YVMEA breakfast to be held during the Sate conference on Sunday, January 17. Someone agreed to do that.

4. Don suggested that someone recommend a topic for a session during next year’s Music Educator Conference. I forget what the topic was.

5. Don suggested that YVMEA create a repertoire list for posting on the YVMEA site, with a special focus on good Christmas and Winter band repertoire. It was suggested that the existing link on the YVMEA site to the Wisconsin School Music Association’s repertoire list seems pretty sufficient already. Don agreed to also add a J.W. Pepper, California and Texas repertoire list.

Discussion: Elementary music symposiums:

Elementary music educators in attendance excused themselves to discuss privately some ideas for sessions and symposiums sponsored by YVMEA. Suggestions included a “best practices” symposium where teachers bring their best lesson plans and ideas to share. Topics included recorder instruction, grant writing. We are looking at a couple of days during the Spring and Fall. Proposed date by MLK day.

Discussion: Solo and Ensemble

There has been an ongoing problem with people walking in and out of adjudication sessions during performances. It was suggested that teachers and accompanists be issued badges to allow them access to the rooms, but to prevent parents and students from entering. It was agreed that Bart make these badges to be issued upon teachers/accompanists arrival at the contest.

When adding an accompanist to your SOLO/ENSEMBLE group.

1st:       click on the draw down menu to see if your accompanist is there. If so select the accompanist
2nd:       If accompanist isn't there, type the name (correct spelling) in the slots below and hit save
3rd:       Click the draw down menu and select the name of your accompanist
4rd:                  Click "Save Changes & return to Overview" in the upper left hand corner.

Please make sure you are doing this. If you check the draw down menu, some accompanist are triplicated!

It was suggested to remind teachers, students, and parents about appropriate behavior during the contest. Don will post a document on the website.

Bart provided and update on Solo Ensemble registration. Registration remains open until Jan. 15. This is later than usual. That means the “turnaround” time for teachers to communicate any conflicts or problems with the initial schedule to Bart is very short. Bart will want all directors to look at the initial schedule immediately and email any problems to Bart WITHIN TWO DAYS! That should not be an inconvenience.

There was discussion concerning getting P.O.s and checks to Megan before the contest. She should have all checks at least a week before the contest so she can write checks to adjudicators and other creditors.

Discussion: Middle School Band and Choir Contest

The discussion centered around the lack of time and venue for these contests. The original time and venue (March 16 at Highland High School) has been invalidated due to school testing. Don reminded directors that, if we do not find a venue, the contest will have to be cancelled for this year. YVCC and some other places were suggested, but nothing was settled. Tension mounts.

NEW BUSINESS

Discussion: Second year Band festival:

John Ord of Ted Brown Music discussed the establishment of a second year band festival. Proposed date/venue: March 16 at Prosser HS. Information will be posted on the YVMEA site. Bart wants to remind everyone what a cool guy John is and how much great work he does for school music in our area. Bart was just joking when he pretended to be mad. Ha, ha. Funny Bart.

Discussion: Budget cuts:

Toppenish: $1.5 million cut in District budget. Yakima: $5 million cut in District budget. These cuts mostly stem from proposed elimination of levy equalization funds proposed by the governor. The test will be whether or not the Legislature restores levy equalization this month. Don would like to know what the impact of budget cuts may do to local music programs. Please alert him if you have any specific information. Tension mounts.

Discussion: Harvest Jazz Band concert:

Eisenhower and Davis High Schools are cosponsoring a jazz festival again at the Capitol Theater. The Capitol has bumped their original date to April 24. Megan Ley pointed out that this, unfortunately, was the same date as State Solo/Ensemble Contest at CWU. Tension mounts.