Objective+11+-+Cons+against+Consistency

Please list your comments and don't forget to use your District #.

Glenn R. Cameron (D2):

After numerous heated 'debates.' Our fundamental conclusion is that pre-auditions is almost impossible in D2 due to logistical concerns and driving distances. i.e. Some of us in the western part of D2 often utilize the interstate system by going through southern NY or we travel through D2 into D5, across through D3 and then back into D2 to get to most of our south/eastern festivals and vice-versa for the eastern D3 people. Not mention that we do not have a central facility large enough to handle pre-auditons.

Brian Stacey D4 - Here are some comments made by the membership of District 4

I am very concerned about the notion of reformatting a students entrance into Districts under a proposed universality in the new Strategic Plan. The idea of going to a universal system for all of the state's districts does not prevent any person from filing a lawsuit if their child makes it to States one year and not even to Districts the next. Here in District 4, we have a GREAT SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR OUR GEOGRAPHICAL LANDSCAPE. Our students fair quite well at the Region and State Level, as well as the Eastern level, too. District 4 serves our students very well where EVERY SCHOOL is represented. It is not about the best students in District 4 who make it to Districts. It's the best from EVERY SCHOOL in our District that makes it to District Band. Auditions at District Band serves to distinguish those who should be represented at Regions. It would be a SHAME for our district to lose the system we work under--a system that really works well for our students. Sincerely, Paul Leskowicz Penns Valley High School

I am most concerned with Objective #11. I believe evaluating the selection process is a good objective. I firmly believe we do not have to update the process, especially in District 4. The reasons you cited during your presentation were: 1) every state, other than Pennsylvania, has a consistent method of selecting students for District Festivals statewide and, 2) the incident of a student moving from District 7 to District 4 who made an All-State ensemble while in District 7 but did not even make a District festival after the move to a District 4 school. I would like to ask a question about the first reason you cited, that Pennsylvania is the only state which does not have a consistent method of selecting students for District festivals statewide. Do the 49 states that have a consistent method of selecting students for District festivals all use the same method? Addressing your second reason, the student who moved from District 7 to District 4. It seems to me that PMEA is attempting to make a change to the selection process so they will not get sued. In my opinion that would punish all of the Districts who use a selection process that does not include Pre-Auditions. For the sake of making my point I would like to go one step further and combine your reasons. What would happen if a student moved from one state with a consistent method of selecting students for District festivals statewide, (i.e.-Ohio), to another state with a different consistent method of selecting students for District festivals statewide, (i.e.-New York)? If the student made the Ohio All-State Band but did not even qualify for the New York District Festival shouldn't MENC dictate that ALL STATES use the same consistent method of selecting students for District festivals statewide so they don't get sued? In my opinion that would be a monumental mistake. Making a parallel to NCLB, schools and music programs all across the nation are suffering because of the Federal Government dictating nationwide educational standards without regard to local conditions. A concern I have is Objective #11 would do the same to PMEA District festivals across the state, not just in District 4. I believe it would be wrong for PMEA to dictate to the Districts how to select students for District festivals. If we go to a consistent method of selecting students for District festivals statewide PMEA would not be considering local conditions. When the Strategic Plan comes up for a vote next year I would ask how do the music teachers from the rest of the state, especially those in the big cities, know what is best for MY students and for District 4? We have a system that works and is in the best interest of all of the schools in District 4 from State College to Harmony. The fact that each school gets a minimum of 5 students in District Band is testament to the fact we are more interested in Music Education than competition. We choose to include as many students from as many schools as possible, not to exclude students for any reason. If it were not for this philosophy most of the students who attend District 4 Band Festivals would not have the opportunity to play the great music our District Bands have performed through the years. I would like to share something with you that happened after you left yesterday. A Director asked how many of the Directors in the room auditioned their students before coming to the selection meeting. Almost every hand in the auditorium was raised. We choose to "Pre-Audition" our students at our own schools. In closing I would like to share a thought with you. One of the reasons I teach music is so I can share my love of music and my passion for making music with my students in an effort to inspire and challenge them to become better musicians who want to continue playing their instrument for the rest of their life, (life long musicing). If PMEA dictates a change in the selection process for students participating in District Festivals I fear you will be taking away one of my most effective means of inspiring and challenging my students.

Sincerely, Arthur F. BelfioreBand Director Lewistown Area High School

====As we continue on to statement #11, in regards to the selections process, the system of selections we currently employ does just that for our district. We are a very geographically spread rural area, with only a couple of what could even be considered suburban locations. Ours is not a culturally advanced area but, by the same token, there are some musical gems in District 4. One of the elements we appreciate as a music community is our coming together at festivals to give students opportunities they would not otherwise get. They make music for the duration of the festival and return to their home schools having been made richer for their experience. Should anyone be denied this experience because they would be unable to be successful through a pre-audition system, this would go directly against the PMEA mission. We are a community of educators that supports each other and wants to see, even the least among us, have better opportunities for our students. When I sat on the PMEA State Board as a District President, I was very thankful of our situation and the professionals I dealt with during my term. Our situation is unique and special and does not reek of the issues of many others. Not that we don’t occasionally have our moments as well but, we all genuinely enjoy being with each other, seeing the students from all the schools be successful. Should pre-auditions be mandated in our District, this would go directly against our mission. I can see bitterness developing between the “haves and have nots” and our strong sense of collegiality being ruptured. More importantly, students that need just this experience would more than likely be denied it unless they were chosen on representation. What kind of self-esteem boost is this really if a student is sent to a festival knowing he was the best of the worst? ====

=
We speak a lot of uniformity needed across the state and compare ourselves to states whose festival systems are nothing like ours. I have a hard time understanding why something that works is being considered for change and why we compare ourselves to states whose systems are so varied from ours. ======

====I would also reiterate that consistently the number of students who advance to All-States is greater than the other district with whom we are paired for Regionals. I would even go so far as to challenge someone to look at chair placements at All-States to see how students from District 4 fare.==== ====There are far too many reasons for maintaining the current system, which works well for us, as opposed to re-inventing the wheel. I urge all of you to remain fair and open-minded as you press on with this issue. PMEA is an organization which, first and foremost, should serve our students. It should never be about the advancement of any one agenda if the best interests of all parties involved are protected.====

Sherry D. Morgan, Director of Choirs Indian Valley High School