Are you beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel that is the 2012-2013 school year? I am! It has been a wonderful year for me and I hope it has been a great year for you!

All State 2013 in Huntsville was a wonderful success and I have so many people to thank. David Raney did a wonderful job of putting information online. This saved the ABA a considerable amount of money and I think made it so much easier for everyone. Dr. David Ragsdale and the staff and students at the University of Alabama in Huntsville did a superb job of hosting the State Solo Festival. It was great to be back on a college campus for this event. Emily Parker and the volunteers and staff at First Baptist Huntsville were so gracious and helpful in opening their facilities to our 600+ students, 100+ directors, and many parents for the chair audition process. We have probably come to take for granted the great job that Doug Farris does every year in preparing for the auditions and tabulations. Our band hosts (James Ed Champion, Damon McAllister, Heather Henson, and Connie Hammond) do more than you can imagine in preparing for both the 160 students in the band and their guest clinician. They all did a fantastic job! We can’t thank enough the schools that provide percussion (Sparkman High School, David Raney and Jack Albert, James Clemens High School, Keith Anderson, and Huntsville High School, David Spencer). This is a much bigger job that you might imagine!

I also want to thank the District One directors who were able to help with the percussion moves (and I’ll expect to see more of you next time!). And of course, we should thank the University of Alabama Wind Ensemble and Dr. Ken Ozzello for the wonderful concert on Friday night. I hope I have not forgotten anyone, but the list is so long to make an event like this run smoothly that I’m sure I have not thanked everyone that I should. I also want to thank each member of the Alabama Bandmasters Association for allowing me to serve as your president. When I received the call four years ago inquiring as to my interest and willingness to serve, I must confess it was a shock. It was never my goal or ambition to fill this capacity, but I have been happy to serve. It can be a difficult job, but the best part was getting to work with the other Board members. I am thankful for the opportunity to get to know those fine directors from every part of the state.

I believe that what we do each day is vitally important to the lives of our students. I believe that the pursuit of musical excellence provides the skills to be academically, socially, physically, and psychologically better students and adults. Our students are cheated to the extent that we “forget” this as an educational culture. We must redouble our efforts to inspire our students with a passion for music!