ATSSB AREA NORTH

Director’s Letter

Updated: January 10, 2010

Information concerning the Area North auditions, forms 11 & 15, and any other helpful information is below. Read everything carefully as a few things could be different if you have not been a part of area auditions in the past. Please get the form 15 notarized and the form 11 signed with all the necessary signatures. Bring a calculator.

Also, make sure your students know that scales do not need to be memorized. Each student will play all the scales and each etude from beginning to the required ending. Of course, there are two rounds in the audition process for the wind players and three rounds for the percussionist. GET FORM 15 NOTARIZED.

All directors should take the time to cover the Holding Room Guidelines with their students before the Saturday of Area. These are new to most students.

Please be sure that you and your percussion students are familiar with the ATSSB Unified Percussion Audition procedures that will be used at Area this year. You can learn more at: http://www.atssb.org/execsec/PercAudGuide.09.pdf.

More explicit directions to Argyle High School are included below courtesy of Kathy Johnson. Kathy has also included a list of Denton area hotels to be used at your convenience. GET FORM 15 NOTARIZED.

Please make every effort to be there for the auditions regardless of your assignment. It could be difficult replacing no shows. For the seventh time last year, we had enough in attendance to use directors as judges and monitors, both inside and outside the room. This made the process run very smoothly. So, please do not underestimate the importance of having directors filling all the needed roles. Even if you do not find your name on the judging assignment sheet, please come. I know that last year we had to make a couple of last minute adjustments to the judging panels. I love our parents, but we, as music educators, know how things should be done. ALSO, BRING A CALCULATOR TO CHECK YOUR RESULTS AND GET FORM 15 NOTARIZED.

The newly adopted ATSSB Holding Room Guidelines can be found on the ATSSB website under “Online Forms.” The form is the first form under “Area.” Check them out.

Be sure to check the procedures for All-State Housing as there are some changes this year. All ATSSB students will be housed in the Hyatt Regency where they rehearse. I have included a link to the “All-State Housing Quick Guide” and “Room Planning” forms on the home page. These forms explain this new process very well.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me. Phone numbers and email addresses are listed on the area information sheet. GET FORM 15 NOTARIZED.

Oh, one last thing --- GET FORM 15 NOTARIZED AND ALL THE SIGNATURES ON FORM 11. Thanks again and REMEMBER TO BRING A CALCULATOR.

Please make a note about my home contact information listed below.
Brandon Brewer
319 West Fern Street
Anna, Texas 7409
972-924-4377 home
214-578-6132 cell
bbrewer@princetonisd.net
mrbrunner@yahoo.com