Dodgen Middle School Band
Dr. Charles R. Jackson, Director of Bands
John A. Jeffres, Assistant Director

All-State Band Auditions
2008-2009
 

Dear Band Parent,

        Audition fees ($15.00) and forms for the Georgia All-State Band are due on Friday, August 29, 2008 in the band office. This letter will serve as your official registration form for this audition. Students are required to perform 4 scales as printed on the GMEA website (http://www.gmea.org), and the chromatic scale as printed on the Dodgen chromatic scale sheet. These scales must be performed from memory at the audition. All Dodgen band students in grade 7 and 8 work on these five scales (plus 8 others) listed above in class on a regular basis. Therefore, all 7th and 8th grade band students should be able to perform the material for this audition. In addition to the scales, students are required to sightread two short musical examples in contrasting styles. Sightreading is discussed and practiced regularly by all students as well.  Advanced 6th grade band students may also participate in the All-State audition process. Students will also be required to perform the designated section from the All-State etude for their instrument as posted on www.gmea.org. This etude is not to be performed from memory. Copies are available on line at www.gmea.org or in the Dodgen Band room.
        The audition for all middle schools in District 12 will take place on December 6, 2008, here at  Dodgen Middle School. Students passing this first district level audition will be recommended by the District 12 GMEA Chairman for the second and final All-State audition which will take place on January 10, 2009 at Perry Middle School, near Macon, GA. Students participating in the final audition will be required to perform the entire etude which is assigned to all students on the same instrument across the state. The etude is not to be performed from memory. In addition to the etude, students will sightread two brief musical examples in contrasting styles. The etude will be made available through the GMEA website.  Copies will be available for students to pick up in the Dodgen Band room. All students interested in auditioning should begin work on the etude now. Waiting for the results from the first audition before beginning work on the etude will not leave enough time to prepare this selection.
        Students passing both auditions will be awarded a seat in the Georgia Middle School All-State Band and will rehearse in Savannah, Georgia, on March 5th, 6th, and 7th, , 2009. Regardless of the audition outcome, all students who prepare and participate in the process will have greatly improved their reading and performance skills. When put in this perspective, all are winners!
        Please sign and return this form along with the audition fee no later than Friday , August 29, 2008. You will need to make checks payable to Dodgen Middle School, place the fee inside an official Cobb County  money collection envelope, and place in the black box outside your child’s grade level commons area. REMEMBER to fill out the envelope completely. We are getting reports from our bookkeeper, that many envelopes are turned in with no name. This requires a great deal of research to locate who should receive credit for the deposit.

My child,_________________________________________, has permission to participate in the GMEA All-State Band audition process. The audition fee of $15.00 is included with this form.

Parent Signature_______________________________________________Date__________

NOTE: Students passing the audition and earning a seat in the Georgia All-State Band will be eligible to have expenses covered through our Band student recognition fund as long as funds are available.  Expenses covered will be:
1.  Each students will be awarded a total of $100.00 toward their room expenses for Thursday and Friday night while in Savannah based on two students per room at a reasonably priced hotel in Savannah to be selected by the band director. Students will be responsible for paying the amount over $100.00 for room expenses.  Parents who are planning to attend the event with their child and take them to and from all rehearsals may feel free to select any hotel in the Savannah area, but no room expenses will be covered by the Dodgen Band since the student will be in the same room as the parent. The Dodgen Band Student Recognition fund will not be able to cover expenses for parents and/or other family members attending the event.
2.  Meal expenses will be based on a per diem amount which will included an estimated amount for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Students will be reimbursed for the amount shown on the receipts from each meal not to exceed the per diem amount.   Snacks and souvenirs are not included as refundable expenses.
3.  Student All-State Acceptance fee to GMEA will be covered through the band budget.