NMSA2011 Student Performances
Conner Middle School Jazz Ensemble
Hebron, Kentucky
The Conner Middle School Band Program consists of approximately 300 students in grades six through eight. The band program received the 2010 National Wind Band Mark of Excellence Award, performed at the 2008 and 2010 Kentucky Music Educators Association State Conference as a featured performance ensemble and demonstration group, and most recently was invited to perform as the Kentucky representative band at the 2011 Festival of States in Washington, D.C. The jazz ensembles at Conner Middle have earned honors throughout the state and region and Jazz Ensemble 1 has been the top performing group for the past two years at the Northern Kentucky Jazz Festival. The group has opened concerts for the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Jazz Ensemble and the University of Kentucky Jazz Ensemble and has performed at the University of Louisville Jazz Fest as a distinguished group. While typically performing in formal concert halls, the group also performs to audiences ranging from elementary students, college music education classes, and venues such as this tonight.
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Kammerer Middle 7th & 8th Grade Band
The Kammerer Middle School 7th and 8th grade Symphonic Band is comprised of fifty hardworking and talented musicians. Roughly eighty percent of musicians began band instruction during their fifth grade year of elementary school. This group has consistently received distinguished ratings at the Kentucky Music Educator's Association Ensemble Festival. Many students participate throughout the year in the Jefferson County Public School All County Band, Morehead State Honors Band, Eastern Kentucky University Honors Band, University of Louisville Summer Wind Institute and Honors Band, and KMEA Solo and Ensemble Festival. Each instrument section receives weekly private instruction in order to help them reach their full potential. Our mission is provide opportunities for performance and quality instruction so that students leave middle school with all the of musical elements that they need for success in higher levels of musical training and in life.
Director: Amanda Cornish
Flute Instructor: Amy Ensel
Saxophone Instructor: Ron Jones
French Horn Instructor: John Little
Trumpet Instructor: Ryan Nottingham
Percussion Instructor: Demond Smith
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Conner Middle School Symphonic Band
Hebron, Kentucky
The Conner Middle School Band Program consists of over 300 students in grades 6 through 8. Our students participate in all grade level bands including Symphonic Band, Concert Band I, Concert Band II, two 6th grade beginning bands, and have opportunities to perform in Jazz Ensemble I, Big Band, Percussion Ensemble, and other small instrumental groups throughout the year.
The Symphonic Band was honored with a 2010 National Wind Band Honors Mark of Excellence Award and was invited to perform as the only Kentucky Representative at the 2011 National Festival of States in Washington, D.C. The band was a featured performing group at the 2008 Kentucky Music Educators Association State In-Service Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, and performed again in 2010 as a demonstration group. In addition, the Symphonic Band was invited to perform at the 2006 and 2010 University of Kentucky Middle School Band Invitational in Lexington, Kentucky. Since 2006, the Symphonic Band has been recognized by the judges as the Exemplary Performance Ensemble in the District 6 Large Ensemble State Assessments. For their last concert of the 2010-2011 school year, the CMS Symphonic Band commissioned and gave the world premier of a new piece by renowned composer John Mackey, titled "Foundry."
Conner Middle School regularly has one of the largest percentages of students in the Northern Kentucky Select Band (out of the seven Northern Kentucky counties) and currently has students performing with the Junior Cincinnati Youth Wind Ensemble at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. In addition, our students participate in several honor bands throughout Kentucky and the tri-state area .
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Royal Spring Middle School 8th Grade Chorus
The Royal Spring Middle School Choral Program currently consists of 207 students in grades 6 through 8. The choirs are all non-auditioned and meet on a daily basis. The 8th Grade Chorus currently as 66 members, of which 50 have been selected to sing for the National Middle School Conference. This 8th grade group has consistently received Distinguished Ratings at our District Middle School Choral Assessment. Also, members have been a part of All-State Choirs, Regional ACDA Choirs, and National ACDA Choirs. The Royal Spring Middle School Chorus is under the direction of Glenna Metcalfe.
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Oldham County Middle 8th Grade Band
Buckner, Kentucky
The Oldham County Middle School, organized in September 1973, is located in Buckner, Kentucky. Oldham County Middle School offers a wide variety of activities for its students not only through classes, but also through extracurricular activities. Some of these include intramural/interscholastic basketball, football, track, cross country, and Beta Club. Students may also explore a wide variety of interests through classes like the yearbook, chorus, and the dance team.
Every year Oldham County Middle School focuses on a main theme. This year's theme is "Make it Happen." Our goal as a staff is to motivate students by whatever means necessary to improve student learning. We expect the same effort from our students. The Oldham County Middle School Band features three outstanding concert organizations that have developed a reputation for musical excellence through concert and festival performances. These ensembles present several public concerts as well as perform in the KMEA Concert Festival in the Spring. In addition to ensemble successes, members of the Oldham County Middle School Band distinguish themselves through individual efforts in All-District auditions, Solo and Ensemble Festival, and other Honor Band activities. For more information, please visit us on the web at www.ocmsband.com
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Olmsted Academy South Concert Choir
Olmsted Academy South is the only all female public school in the state of Kentucky. The Chorus has been in existence for four years under the direction of Andrea Diggs. They have received proficient and distinguished ratings at the KMEA District Festival. These ladies have also been invited four years in a row to perform at the annual Neighborhood Place Luncheon in Louisville, KY; and received numerous awards and honors for solo, ensemble and large group performances. Performing all genres of music, these ladies are truly a joy to hear. The ladies of the OAS Concert Choir pride themselves on excellence and are honored to perform at the National Middle School Conference this year.
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Barret Traditional Middle 7th & 8th Grade Orchestra
Louisville, Kentucky
Vickie L. Cook is now in her fifth year as Director of Orchestra’s at Barret Traditional Middle School in Louisville, Kentucky and in her 20th year of teaching music. Ms. Cook earned her Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music degrees from Morehead State University. She subsequently earned her Rank One in Guidance and Counseling from Western Kentucky University. Ms. Cook retired at the rank of Major from active duty in 1994 and after her retirement, she was hired as the Band Director at Jeffersontown High School. In 1998 Ms. Cook became the orchestra director at J-town High and in 2007 her duties were expanded to include the Barret Traditional Middle School Orchestras. She assumed the duties of the Director of Orchestras from Mr. Derek Peters, who taught both band and orchestra at Barret. Under her the direction, the Orchestra’s at Barret have received Distinguished Ratings at Kentucky Music Educators Association Orchestra Festival. Her orchestra was selected to play for the Kentucky Music Education Conference in February 2010. Her professional affiliations include the Kentucky Music Educators Association, the Music Educators National Conference, the American String Teachers Association, and the Military Officers Association of America.
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College View Middle School Band
Hebron, Kentucky
The College View Middle School program consists of approximately 225 students in grades 6 through 8. Students begin instrumental instruction in the 6th grade in either a 46 minute woodwind class or a combined brass and percussion class. The 7th and 8th grade band students are also placed in a woodwind class or a combined brass and percussion class at each grade level. Since 1997, the CVMS band program has more than doubled in enrollment and continues to grow. The band consistently receives distinguished ratings at the KMEA Large Ensemble Assessment as well as the Solo and Ensemble Festival. Many members of the band are selected for the 2nd District All-District Band each year. The band has also received superior ratings at festivals in Louisville, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Chicago, and Atlanta. In 2007 the band was selected to perform at the Kentucky Music Educators Association In-Service Conference. More recently, the CVMS band was chosen to perform at the University of Kentucky Middle School Band Invitational Festival and the Austin Peay State University North Tennessee Concert Band Festival.
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North Laurel Middle Select Band
North Laurel Middle School is located in London, part of beautiful southeastern Kentucky. The school’s total enrollment is approximately 1,100 students. Since the opening of the school in 1988, NLMS has been recognized as a Kentucky Blue Ribbon School, a National Service Learning School, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and has received the PRIDE Middle School Campus of the Year Award. The school offers a challenging curriculum that actively engages all students. A notable part of this curriculum is a highly active and successful band program.
The North Laurel Middle School band program consists of 162 sixth, seventh and eighth grade talented students performing in various ensembles, including concert band, jazz band, parade band, pep band, and percussion ensemble. The sixth, seventh and eighth grade Concert Bands have consistently earned distinguished ratings for their performances in the Kentucky Music Educators Association Large Ensemble Festival. Band students also participate in EKU Middle School Honor Band and Southeastern Kentucky Music Association All-Festival Band each year. Additional performance events include KMEA Solo and Ensemble and the London Christmas on Main Parade.
The North Laurel Middle School Select Band was established recently, in August 2011, through an audition process for the purpose of performance at the National Middle School Association Conference. The group is comprised of the top musicians in seventh and eighth grade band at North Laurel Middle School.
The band program is under the direction of Priscilla Wilkerson, who is currently in her 19th year as a music educator in the Laurel County school system. She began her career at South Laurel Middle School, where she dedicated her work for seven years as both choir director and general music teacher. She has directed the band at North Laurel Middle School for the past 11 years. Other distinctions include being named District 10 Middle School Teacher of the Year, once during her tenure at South Laurel Middle School and twice while at North Laurel Middle School. She also received the Laurel County Middle School Teacher of the Year Award in 2001 and the Campbellsville University Excellence in Teaching Award in 2006.
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Olmsted Academy South Orchestra
The Frederick Law Olmsted Academy South Orchestra is comprised of over 160 students in grades sixth through eighth. A majority of these students begin playing in sixth grade. The Olmsted Orchestra participates in many Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA) events. The Olmsted Orchestra participates in the KMEA District 12 Large Ensemble Assessment while earning distinguished ratings each year. Over 40 students participate in the KMEA Solo and Ensemble Assessment each year, earning proficient and distinguished ratings. Students also participate in Jefferson County Public Schools All-County Orchestra as well as the Louisville Youth Orchestra.
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Barren County Middle 8th Grade Band
Monica O. Crowder is in her 14th year as Director of Bands at Barren County Middle School. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Louisville where she studied Clarinet Performance with Dallas Tidwell and served as the drum major for the Cardinal Marching Band. Mrs. Crowder also holds a Master of Arts in Education degree from Western Kentucky University. During Mrs. Crowder's tenure at Barren County Middle School her bands have received several accolades including; an invitational performance to the 2012 and 2002 Kentucky Music Educators Association In Service Conference, an invitational performance to the National Middle School Association Conference in 2011, 13 years of straight Distinguished ratings for both her 7th and 8th grade bands, and 1st place in class and best overall middle school concert band at 9 Music in the Parks Band Festivals. Mrs. Crowder is recognized throughout the state as an outstanding middle school music educator. She was selected as the Third District Music Educators Association Middle School Teacher of the Year for 2009 and 2002. She was also elected to membership in Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters' Fraternity in 2007. Mrs. Crowder serves as a guest conductor and adjudicator throughout the state of Kentucky and has also served as the KMEA Third District Middle School Band Chair. Currently she serves on the KMEA Executive Committee and is the Kentucky Music Educators Association Elementary/Middle School Instrumental Music Chair for the state. Prior to her appointment with the BCMS band program, Monica worked in the Henry County Public Schools for 4 years, where her bands received straight distinguished ratings at concert band festival. Mrs. and Dr. Crowder have resided in Glasgow since 1998 and have an 8-year-old daughter, Briana, who attends Third Grade at South Green Elementary School.
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