The Bradleyville Screaming Eagle Band will perform at the 76th Annual Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA) conference on January 23, 2014, at 12:30 p.m. at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, MO. Selection to perform at the conference is the state's highest honor for performing groups. Last year 1,860 music teachers attended this four-day conference. It is estimated that with teachers, students, parents, the All-State Band, Orchestra, Jazz Band, Choir, All-Collegiate groups, clinicians and guests the Conference foot traffic exceeded 10,000 people. The MMEA Conference is held each year for Missouri’s music educators and music students and features a wide variety of concerts and clinics covering a wide variety of educational topics. The conference includes performances by the All-State Band, Orchestra, Choir and Jazz Band.
The Screaming Eagle Band was chosen from over 154 applicants in band, choir, orchestra and jazz band, in public and collegiate level institutions, and was one of only six high school level bands to be chosen. To be considered, all groups are required to submit a selection of live recordings from their past season and are judged by an out-of-state panel of band directors. Judging is “blind” in that there is no indication of the size of the group, size of school, or age of the performers given to the judges. Bradleyville’s selection to perform in the high school category is even more impressive since the band is made up of students in grades 7-12. The group that performs at MMEA will include three sixth grade students as well. “It is quite an accomplishment for a small school to be chosen, and we are so honored to be selected to represent our school, community and state at the MMEA Conference,” said band director Chris Sprague. “I am humbled by the outpouring of good wishes and offers from the band community to help prepare the band for this occasion. I am so grateful to the schools who have loaned us the equipment that we don’t have and need to perform more advanced music. These instruments are quite expensive and we simply can’t afford them. Also, many of the large schools chosen have several directors to help with rehearsals. Our school only has 233 students in grades K-12, so I am the only music teacher on the faculty. I’m so glad my students will have the opportunity to learn from so many experienced and talented musicians who have volunteered to help prepare the band for this performance. ” The band has already been visited by Eric Matzat, President of Palen Music Center and AAron Bryan, Vice-President of Palen Music Center. Many other current and retired band directors will be visiting in the coming weeks.
The Screaming Eagle Band was chosen from over 154 applicants in band, choir, orchestra and jazz band, in public and collegiate level institutions, and was one of only six high school level bands to be chosen. To be considered, all groups are required to submit a selection of live recordings from their past season and are judged by an out-of-state panel of band directors. Judging is “blind” in that there is no indication of the size of the group, size of school, or age of the performers given to the judges. Bradleyville’s selection to perform in the high school category is even more impressive since the band is made up of students in grades 7-12. The group that performs at MMEA will include three sixth grade students as well. “It is quite an accomplishment for a small school to be chosen, and we are so honored to be selected to represent our school, community and state at the MMEA Conference,” said band director Chris Sprague. “I am humbled by the outpouring of good wishes and offers from the band community to help prepare the band for this occasion. I am so grateful to the schools who have loaned us the equipment that we don’t have and need to perform more advanced music. These instruments are quite expensive and we simply can’t afford them. Also, many of the large schools chosen have several directors to help with rehearsals. Our school only has 233 students in grades K-12, so I am the only music teacher on the faculty. I’m so glad my students will have the opportunity to learn from so many experienced and talented musicians who have volunteered to help prepare the band for this performance. ” The band has already been visited by Eric Matzat, President of Palen Music Center and AAron Bryan, Vice-President of Palen Music Center. Many other current and retired band directors will be visiting in the coming weeks.