MMEA-WD Meeting

March 10, 2006

West Springfield High School

West Springfield, MA 

Present: Holly Joy Pearson, Liz Dominick, Tony DiGiore, Bill Carr, Megan Carr, Andy Villamaino, Steve Damon, Patrick Kennedy, Jim Snedeker, Mike Smith, Dan Albert, Claire-anne Williams, Kayla Werlin, Heather McLaughlin, Grace Rice, Chuck Emery, Rebecca Phelps, Carol Toth, Christine Davis-Pedilla 

Call to order: 4:06 

Correspondence: One parent complaint regarding ticket order forms not being handed out. Hopefully we can have these on the web-site next year. 

Secretary's Report: Rebecca - M/S/P to accept report. 

Treasurer's Report: Scott - Absent due to health problems. M/S/P to accept report. 

Junior Festival

Program: Christine - Folders with red pens and directions to managers handed out to managers. Please have editing done by the first break in the morning and return to Christine. 

Site Host: Bill - Rooms are all designated and we can use as many as we need!  Jazz band will be in choral room, treble chorus in auditorium, orchestra in  cafeteria and boys chorus in the library. Keyboard will be brought up to library.  

Male Chorus: Holly and Liz - Everything all set to go. 34 boys participating this  year. 

Treble Chorus: Mike & Staci - May have procedural questions as the day   progresses, but basically everything is ready to go tomorrow. 

Jazz: Bill Chapman - Absent. Everything appears to be set to go. 

Orchestra: Grace - Still looking for a percussionist. Could Dan play? 2 violinists  have dropped out. 

Band: Andy - Still needs to figure out percussion needs for the second week at  UMass. Could use help with sectional rehearsals. 

Senior High Festival

Chorus: Terry Larsen - Absent. Terry has asked Peter Bagley to direct. E- mail  other ideas for conductors to Terry. Terry needs an assistant. 

Band: Joanne Nelson will be manager with Bill Carr assisting. 

Orchestra: Carl Jenkins - Absent. He is asking someone to conduct from  Williamstown - hasn't heard yet. Looking for an assistant. 

Elementary Business: Many good sessions are being offered at All-State this year including several by our own Western District members. 

Coordinators

Strings: Denise - Absent. No report.

Jazz: Brian - Absent. No report.

B/WW/Perc: Claire - No news to report.

Vocal: Kayla - No news to report.

Publicity: Tony - Will have West Springfield Recorder here on March 11 for  PR. Tony took pictures of district members. Kudos to Tony for all his work on  publicity.

Website: Beth - Absent. Link for re-districting has been put up on the site. 

New Business: The planned state re-districting will not affect us much except that there will be fewer slots available to us in Western District. We still have proportionately more than the eastern part of the state however.

There is a possibility that All-State may be held in Springfield next year using the newly refurbished Mass Mutual Center. 

Calendar: Requests for audition dates needed. Bill Carr says we will be able to use West Springfield again next year. (Thank you Bill!) Spring dinner meeting will be held at the Westwood Pub in May with music to be provided by Springfield Community Music School. 

Announcements: Walter Chestnut's health is not good and there will be a March 25 concert in his honor at Bezanson Recital Hall.

Carol will send a card to Holly Joy Pearson on the recent death of her father.from the district.

Carol mentioned possibly bringing back the Western District Award.

Congratulations to Andrew Garcia on the birth of his new baby boy! 

Adjourn: 5:20 

Respectfully submitted,

Rebecca Phelps, secretary