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Michigan IAJE General Membership Board Meeting
January 25, 2008
Michigan Music Conference, Grand Rapids @12:00 pm

            --Minutes--

Present:   Danny Jordan, Bill Sears, Bob Nixon, Kevin Dobreff, Rich Fanning  

Danny Jordan: Official Welcome

Kevin Dobreff treasury report:
1. Our Michigan Chapter is in good fiscal standing with a current balance of
     $4,395.00
2. We recently received $571.00 in rebates from the IAJE national office due to
     good chapter status and new Michigan members.
3. Our Michigan chapter has submitted scholarship awards for individual students.


President Jordan:
Reminder, the IAJE '09 conference is in Seattle, WA; coming next to:
        IAJE '10 - New Orleans
        IAJE '11 - New York City
   
What can we do as a state chapter to better reach out to our members? What can we do to make an individual membership more beneficial to each member?

We hope to send out a survey for feedback regarding a this. Our international conference meets annually. Are members interested in local or regional conferences?

Reminder:
    An information sheet was passed out re: IAJE summer '08 workshop, Park City, UT.
    This eleven day conference will feature:
        -Collegiate academy
        -International Composition Symposium
        -Young Jazz Camp ages 13-18
        -Jazz Fantasy Camps
        -Jazz History Seminars
        -and more
Visit IAJE.org for these summer opportunities.

Question-1:  Is this summer training opportunity annual?  Answer: Yes

President Jordan:
The new era of cooperation with the MSBOA continues. Past president Brian Coyle has paved the way for this new collaboration.
Paul Stanifer and Danny Jordan worked closely together this past Labor Day at the Detroit International Jazz Festival adjudicating, presenting, and bestowing awards. IAJE Michigan has an excellent relationship with MSBOA. President Jordan recently received an honorary membership from MSBOA.
IAJE Michigan and MSBOA collaborated on revisions for the jazz adjudication forms currently used at MSBOA jazz adjudications. One of the revisions replaced the sight-reading element with a “hands on” clinic from an adjudicator. Also, all of the jazz judges at MSBOA Jazz adjudicated festivals are now IAJE members.

Future Goal:
A stronger presence at the Michigan Music Conference in the immediate future. This past year, the Thursday before the Conference featured workshops on Technology. Why not propose that at next year's Thursday feature, along with various Jazz education workshops?

Bob Nixon:
Suggested the need for a work shop addressing “The Jazz Rhythm Section”.
   
Excellent content resides on the very well-done IAJE Michigan website. Check it out and send your comments and affirmations to the webmaster.

President Jordan:
Please check out IAJEmichigan.com.  Again, what can we do to enhance our chapter member memberships?

Group Response:
The IAJE Reading Band could play more often

Bob Nixon (Reading Band leader):
Suggested performances on the East and West side of the state to raise scholarship monies.
   
Comment:
Use MSBOA to get more jazz resources/information into the hands of state band directors who know very little about jazz.

President Jordan:
You are all welcomed to attend the Executive Board meeting which will meet immediately at the conclusion of this meeting.  Letters from Sandy Isen and Ron DeSalvio new chapter members expressing an enthusiasm for service to IAJE Michigan.

Comment:
Perhaps some band directors are under the impression that in order to get help and/or resources from IAJE Michigan they need to be a member.

President Jordan:
We are willing to help as much as possible.

Comment:
It may help if IAJE Michigan published a news letter with tips for jazz ensemble directors or sends out postcards pointing band directors to our IAJE Michigan website.

Bob Nixon;
Perhaps having MSBOA referencing IAJE even more often could be a help to state band directors.

Richard Fanning:
Improvisation assistance would be beneficial.  What about IAJE offering some classes and clinics that would give band directors credit toward keeping their teaching certification current?

Bob Nixon:
Yes, like professional development credit or college credit through IAJE.

Comment:
How about 2-3 IAJE state members (resource team) targeting select public schools on behalf of IAJE in order to make a more demonstrative impact?

President Jordan:
Agreed, that we need even more grass roots, more regional efforts (like Chicago’s conference in the past) to make more of an impact.  We are trying to make the website more interactive. We need more of our current board members to contribute articles and resources so that the webmaster can post them.

Bob Nixon:
Encouraged sending additional ideas via e-mail.

Question:
Is there a list of clinicians on the website?

President Jordan:
Thank you all for attending. Please check out our website. Send me an e-mail with your ideas. I will respond quickly.

  

Respectfully submitted,
Scott Cowan
Secretary