ARKCDA Timeline & Monthly Events Schedule - Revised, Summer, 2007

JULY

• Register for AACDA Summer Convention
• Pre-order all region and state music

AUGUST

• Verify all region/state/local concert dates are on the school calendar

• Find out how to do purchase orders/bus transportation requests/eligibility requirements

• Tune pianos

• Familiarize yourself with the ArkCDA CPA and Region/State Tryouts manuals, download or view from the website (www.arkcda.org )

• Request professional leave days for All-State, ACDA conventions

• Join ACDA,MENC

• Print your calendar of events for hand-outs to give to parents, students, administrators, place it on your choir’s website

• Know your school’s testing dates and ACT/SAT testing dates

• ACDA Summer Convention occurs this month. Attend to meet other directors, attend presentations by guest clinicians, read new music, order region and state music and rehearsal CD’s. (Available through J & B Music). Attend your region meeting and meet your region chair.

• Register your school for the upcoming year online at www.arkcda.org. October 1 is the deadline before a penalty is added.

• Make certain you are signed up for your region mailing list (instructions at Resources, For Teachers, Mailing Lists).

• Order uniforms.
• Set fund raiser dates and place on the school calendar.
• Meet with booster organization if you have one.
• Check information for the AMEA fall workshop (see www.arkmea.org).

SEPTEMBER

• Register eligible students online for Region Auditions. Refer to the ArkCDA manuals for rules.

• Attend senior high region audition workshops at various colleges and universities around the state. Check your region page on the website for one near you.

• Cut checks for region tryout and clinic fees see your region page at www.arkcda.org

• Check out available Invitational festivals, prepare to attend one.
• ArkCDA school registration continues.

• Print your calendar of events for future reference.

OCTOBER

• Register for MENC workshops 30 days prior to the event.

• Go over the audition process with your students.

• ArkCDA school membership fees must be in by October 1, along with your list of eligible students (accompanied by the AAA General Eligibility form signed by your principal – see Forms, AAA Eligibility, General Eligibility) for the fall semester. Mail these to ArkCDA, P. O. Box 2593, Harrison, AR 72602. To see the eligibility rules refer to pages 30-31 of the AAA Handbook located at www.ahsaa.org.

• All-region auditions for junior and senior high students usually are held this month. This is the first step to All-state auditions for senior high students. All directors who take students to auditions will be expected to work in some capacity - judge, tally room, student supervision, etc.

• If your region has extra choirs (SSA, etc.), be sure that your students know those pieces before Region Clinic.

• What are CPA and PML?
  (Choral Performance Assessment and Prescribed Music List)
• And what about those trip chaperones?

NOVEMBER

• If you have alternates for the all-region choruses make sure that they are prepared to go

• Attend all-region even if you don’t have any students

• Get pictures of your all-region students to the local paper with information about the event

• Region Clinics for the all-region choirs are traditionally held this month. Your students in the honor choirs should know their music before they come to the Clinic. Rehearsals will be held and then a concert presented in the afternoon or evening. Be sure you check on what is appropriate concert attire for your students for this event. Do they have black folders for music? Do they have a pencil in that folder?

• Do you need more trip chaperones?
• Order All State music and cd's
• Make hotel reservations for all state tryouts if necessary
  - motels fill up early!

DECEMBER

• Hand out all-state music and practice CD’s to students that are eligible to audition for all-state

• Contact your local paper with your performance schedule for Winter concerts-provide a picture of the choir or let them know of optimal photo opportunities.

• This month is yours. There are no ArkCDA events.

• CPA is on the way. Have you selected your music from the PML or gotten it approved?

JANUARY

• Check eligibility for second semester

• Make arrangements to attend all-state- hotel arrangements for approximate number of students and chaperones

• Check the auditions cancellation list on the arkcda website.

• Tune pianos

• Begin practicing the ArkCDA sight-reading procedure at CPA-refer to the handbook for rules.

• Workshops on the All-State audition music will be held at those same colleges and universities you went to in the fall. This is especially good if you have a small number of students trying out.

• Have you submitted your CPA music to the Junior or Senior Section Chair for approval if you didn’t select something from the PML? The deadline is January 15th. Last chance.

• Spring student eligibility lists must be submitted by February 1.

• Have you registered for your Region CPA?
• Begin recruiting for next year. Many schools have CAPS conferences coming up where students will plan their next years' schedule.

FEBRUARY

• Check the bad-weather date for all-state tryouts, inform your principal of that possibility.

• Request check for Region CPA fees.

• Check to see if your transportation requests are settled.

• Eligibility lists due February 1. See October for instructions.

• All-State auditions are the first Friday of this month. The location may change from Conway to Arkadelphia to Russellville. Check your calendar you printed in the fall for the site.

• All-State Clinic is in Hot Springs at the Convention Center. Make your all state housing reservations as soon as possible after the tryouts.

• Region CPA’s begin the last weekend of the month. Check for your Region’s event. This is a qualifying event for the State CPA for senior high groups, I’s or IIR’s.

MARCH

• Register for State Festival
  and State Solo & Small Ensemble
• Cut checks for entry fees for those events
• Attend ACDA convention

• Region CPA’s continue for the remaining regions.

• When is Benchmark testing?

• And when is your spring break?!?!

APRIL

• The State Festival is held this month. Groups with I’s or IIR average are eligible to attend. This is a three day event, a Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 1A-4A schools will go one day and 5A-7A schools on the other. You may use the same selections you performed at the Region CPA. You do not sight-read at State CPA

• Order your Sweepstakes Trophies

• Hold auditions for your select choruses

• Prepare for your Awards Banquet

• Choose to attend invitational events for BBS/Show Choirs

• Region and/or State Solo & Ensemble events may be this month.

MAY

• Region planning meetings are usually held in late April or early May. Attend the meeting so you will know when dates are for the next school year.

• Understand your end of year school check-out procedure

• Be sure you have a filing system for all your music. AND use it! Check out the program for keeping track of your music available through the ArkCDA website. (Resources, Downloads)

• Submit your budget to your administrator

• Find out who is on your roster for next year.

• Add next year’s choir dates to the school calendar, reserving facilities that need to be reserved

• Schedule performance dates

• Submit your MENTOR evaluation forms

• Check music publisher websites for new materials

• Concert, baccalaureate, graduation, all those things that choral people have to do to finish off the year.

• Pre-order your region and state music and practice cd’s from J & B for pick-up in August at ACDA!!!!!!!

• The rest of the month is yours.