Amy Ranta of The Woodstock Academy in Woodstock, CT is organizing a committee to propose revisions to the NEMFA Vocal Ensemble Performance Repertoire Lists. Amy is looking for other NEMFA choral directors who are interested in reviewing and updating these lists. She has already started sketching out ideas for revisions of her own. One of the types of selections that she is trying to include with this new revision is program material that directors may be working on in the first semester, such as Christmas, Hannukah, or other winter themed selections. Amy feels that there are some WONDERFUL a cappella selections out these of this genre that would be perfect for NEMFA Solo/Ensemble Performances as well as in concerts. She notes that when she is working with her students on a NEMFA Vocal Ensemble selection, she incorporates it into the concert that her group is preparing at the time so that is not an extra piece to prepare, but may be performed in the NEMFA Solo and Ensemble Festival and in her own school concert.

NEMFA Choral Directors who are interested in serving on this Vocal Ensemble Revision Committee should contact Amy Ranta at aranta@woodstockcademy.org to get involved.

The NEMFA Executive Board recently voted on a revision to the Dress Code for all NEMFA Concert Ensemble as follows:

Dress code - The dress code for all ensembles in performance will be: Dark suit (black preferred, black tuxedos are also acceptable) with a tie, and a collared white shirt, OR black sleeve top (no bare midriffs, shoulders or low neckline) and a solid black bottom (below the knees black skirt or black dress pants), OR a black long gown/dress that goes below the knees. Dark shoes and dark socks or hose. No sport shoes or sandals allowed. All concert dress will be in conservative good taste.

Dear NEMFA Members,

Orchestra folders will be shared digitally with your sponsor around January 20. Teachers are to download, copy parts and give to students. You should print them for practice use leading up to the festival. Feel free to mark anything you need in these parts. These are also the copies you will use in performance (we are NOT distributing “originals”), so please bring a black folder or binder to carry your parts. To comply with copyright law, we will collect your copies at the end of the performance. Before arriving at the festival, number the measures in your part; strings should also follow the conductor’s provided bowings.

Woodwinds and brass should play through all parts and MASTER the part they have been assigned.

Percussion: One student has been assigned to cover timpani and another student will cover mallets. Auxiliary percussionists need to learn all other parts.

Re-Seating For STRING PLAYERS:

“Upon arrival at the Concert Festival, the string players will be asked if they wish to audition for the first chair of their assigned sections. Students who sign up will be asked to play excerpts from the concert repertoire in front of one or two judges during the Thursday afternoon rehearsal, generally after the read through of some of the literature. Principal chair players are obliged to play as well. If a first chair player declines to participate then the Chair will be considered “open”. Students will be rated on mastery of the excerpts as well as leadership. The excerpts will not be posted earlier. Students who audition MUST play the top line of divisi sections regardless of their assignment. If a challenging player performs noticeably better than the existing first chair, that player will sit first and every other player will move down one seat UNLESS the conductor requests that all outside players remain in tact. If that request is made then the original first chair player will be reseated to the inside BUT everyone else will remain inside/outside with only the stand number changing. The decision of the judges cannot be challenged.”

To summarize – ALL PRINCIPAL STRING PLAYERS must audition to retain their seat. ANY OTHER STRING PLAYER may “challenge” the sitting principal for the seat.

See you soon!

Best,

Paul Pierce

2023 NEMFA Orchestra Manager

Dear NEMFA Members,

Florentiner March, by Julius Fucik

Dum Spiro Spero by Chris Pilsner

Symphony of Fables, Movements 1 and 3 by Julie Giroux

Rocketship, by Kevin Day

For a letter from the 2023 NEMFA Band Conductor, Dr. Elizabeth Peterson, please click here .

Any teachers interested in helping with the Band at the Festival on the Band Committee, please email me at APandolfe@EOSmith.org .

Looking forward to seeing you all,

Anthony Pandolfe

NEMFA Band Manager

Dear NEMFA Members,

Rehearsal tracks for the 2023 NEMFA Chorus are now available on the Concert Festival page of the NEMFA Website. You will find them by clicking here . If there are any choral teachers who would be willing to help with rehearings, remediation sessions, and sectionals, please email me at mclark@huusd.org !

See you in March,

Molly Clark

NEMFA Chorus Manager

In the area of programming, the Lowell Mason House is sponsoring a competition that focuses on Music Education Advocacy. In the 2022-23 Lowell Mason House Annual Music Education Advocacy Competition being held this Fall, applicants will be asked to submit a video, song, paper or presentation consisting of their own creative format that is uniquely accessible. Potential applicants include students, teachers, composers, performers, songwriters and anyone who loves music. The competition organizers will be challenging the applicants to reinterpret a piece of music of their choice (classical, jazz, musical theater, or popular/folk music) and adapt it in a creative way so that it may be the centerpiece of an innovative 21^st century classroom lesson, presentation, or public performance. Our organization is at an exciting crossroad and we are looking for new ideas on how the Lowell Mason House can champion music education advocacy and innovation. Thanks to anonymous donors, significant prize money for the top three winners will be awarded up to $5,000.00 for first prize. For more information, please go to the Advocacy Competition link online at https://www.lowellmasonhouse.net/competition .

Thank you for considering making a tax deductible donation today. Please make checks payable to: The Lowell Mason House, P. O. Box 913 Medfield, MA 02052. If you prefer, you may also donate directly online by going to our website at http://www.lowellmasonhouse.net . Your contribution is tax-deductible as a charitable contribution to the extent provided by U.S. tax

With everyone's help, we had an outstanding musical ensemble perform great music after the Covid pandemic threatened to cancel it. Now that it's return is established, the John Philip Sousa National High School Honors Band came back stronger than ever and we look forward to the next group to meet in June 2024. We especially wish to thank the New England Music Festival Association for being an ad sponsor along with the other businesses and organizations and the students from 29 schools all over the six New England states who made the event possible with everyone else from the rest of the country.