Fall Newsletter

Dear Colleagues:

     Greetings from PMEA! I do hope that you have enjoyed a spectacular school year, filled with the joy of making music! As you prepare for a well-deserved time of relaxation, please take a moment to ponder the many successes that you and your students have experienced throughout the 2008-2009 school year!

     It has been an exciting year for the talented young musicians of District 11! Many opportunities were made possible by our gracious fest and festival hosts. Once again, I'd like to offer a heart-felt "bravo" to the following individuals for their willingness to share their time and talents in creating memorable experiences for our students:
          Brian Horoho - Upper Merion - Choral Acceptance Auditions
          Jason Morehouse - Central Bucks East - Instrumental Acceptance Auditions
          Dr. Joseph Ohrt - Central Bucks West - District 11 Chorus
          Tonia Kaufman - Plymouth Whitemarsh - District 11 Band
          Lisa Gribbin/Bob Barron - Upper Moreland - District 11 Orchestra
          Joseph DeTato/Chuck Gottesman - Abington/Springfield Township - Region VI Band
          Mindy Walker - Abington - MS/Jr. High Song Fest
          Mary-Ellen Caldwell, Sue Basalik - Methacton - Elementary/MS String Fest
          Kim Pezzi-Burns, Laurie Brann - Upper Moreland - Elementary Band Fest
          Sara Gray/Dagnija Berzins/Sally Ann Beck/Susan Reed - Pennridge - Elementary Song Fest

Also, our sincere thanks to those District 11 members who opened their doors to host the 2009 All-State Ensembles:
          Upper Merion High School - All-State Orchestra/Chorus Auditions
          Spring-Ford High School - All-State Band/Wind Ensemble Auditions
          Diana Helmetag, Don Washam - Upper Merion - All-State Orchestra
          John Eckstine, Jim Westlake - Spring-Ford - All-State Wind Ensemble/Concert Band
          Bill Naydan - Hatboro Horsham - All State Chorus
          Bret Mascaro, Elizabeth Francisco - Methacton - All-State Jazz Ensemble/Vocal Jazz

     Finally, in keeping with our focus on using the district website for the dissemination of important information, please note the items that follow. Should you wish a hard copy of the newsletter, please click the link above to access the document.

Enjoy your summer vacation and I look forward to working with you once again next year.

Sincerely,
John S. Herlihy
President, District 11

Information regarding the following items is available on the District 11 website:

1. District 11 Calendar

2. District 11 Audition Materials

3. Fests and Festivals

4. Curriculum and Instruction

5. Policies and Procedures

6. Minutes Spring Ex. Board Meeting (Password required)

7. Financial Report (Password required) Will be uploaded to the website shortly

State Coordinator for Curriculum and Instruction
Congratulations to Susan Basalik of the Methacton School District, who was elected state curriculum/instruction coordinator. Susan teaches elementary strings and orchestra and will do a phenominal job serving the teachers of Pennsylvania.

2009 PMEA District 11 Citation of Excellence
Congratulations to Bill Naydn for being inducted into the inaugural class of the PMEA Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place at the 2009 Awards Luncheon, held at the Valley Forge Convention Center during the annual in-service conference.

2009 PMEA District 11 Citation of Excellence
Congratulations to Mary-Ellen Caldwell of the Methacton School District, for being awarded the 2009 PMEA District 11 Citation of Excellence. The ceremony took place at the 2009 Awards Luncheon, held at the Valley Forge Convention Center during the annual in-service conference.

Congratulations to the following D11 Directors and their outstanding ensembles for being selected to perform at the 2009 PMEA All-State Conference in Valley Forge, PA:
Adam Gumble - Quakertown Community Freshman Center Concert Band
Dave DiValentino - Pennbrook Middle School Wind Ensemble - North Penn
Kim Pezzi-Burns - Upper Moreland Middle School Wind and Percussion Ensemble
John Eckstine - Spring-Ford Area High School Symphonic Wind Ensemble
Christopher Simon - Council Rock High School South Orchestra
Frank Parker - Quakertown Community High School Jazz Band
Ralph Jackson - Bridal Path Elementary School - Elementary Select String Ensemble - North Penn

PMEA Summer Conference - Although we look to the summer months as a time to take a break from it all, one of the best ways to stay connected to PMEA is through your attendance at the 2009 PMEA Summer Conference, being held at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College, PA from July 20-21. As music educators, our continued professional growth is paramount to the overall success of our programs. The summer conference offers wonderful opportunities to attend workshops lead by outstanding educators in our field, as well as a time to reconnect with colleagues and friends. Additional information is available at www.pmea.net.

Professional Development Conference - Jeff Cooper,C/I Chair has put out a call for sessions for the 2009 PMEA Professional Development Conference. Once again, we are fortunate to have Montgomery County Community College serve as our host for the conference. Should you have a great idea for a session or workshop, or know of someone who does, please contact Jeff Cooper at jcooper@colonialsd.org.

Acceptance Auditions - Once again , we are pleased to have Brian Horoho at Upper Merion High School and Jason Morehouse at Central Bucks East High School serve as our hosts for the 2009 Choral and Instrumental Acceptance Auditions. Please note the following dates:

     · Choral Acceptance Auditions: Saturday November 21, 2009 - Upper Merion High School
     · Instrumental Acceptance Auditions: Saturday December 12, 2009 - Central Bucks East High School

         Additional information, specific to these auditions will be made available in the fall at www.pmea11.info.

Membership - Membership runs from July 1^st through June 30^th of each year. All members are encouraged to review their membership profile and contact information at www.pmea.net.

Advocacy - As you know, one of our most important jobs is to aggressively promote music education within our schools and communities. Richard Victor's advocacy and political action updates through PLAN are extremely valuable. Please contact him at rdv11@scasd.org to be included in these electronic mailings.