OMEA D2 Newsletter

Google Form

The Google Form below covers all of the topics that we would love your opinions on! Questions on the Google Form include...

1. Spring meeting date

2. Membership incentives

3. General Music workshops

4. Mentorship Chair

open_in_new

Would you be in favor of a D2 meeting on a Friday?

Voting ends in 18 days

Votes are anonymous but results are public

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Junior High Honors Festival

We need to find a new site for the Junior High Honors Festival. Thanks to your fantastic work as educators (especially the orchestra directors in D2!), we have outgrown Tiffin.

Please contact Mike Meadows with any questions or offers to take over this event.

HS Honors Festival - Band Audition Music

We would like to make changes to the audition music so it better reflects the skill level of our students and the demands of the ensemble. Please upload music that meets the following requirements to the Google Drive folder below. We need at least 3 pieces for each instrument.

More challenging than Class B

PDF format

No more than 1 page

No repeats

Junior High Orchestra

The committee is waiting to hear back from Brian Balmages and Soon He Newbold. Once we get prices, you will receive another google form to vote for your top choice.

Soon He Newbold

Brian Balmages

High School Choir

Due to a breakdown in communication, this commission committee is being re-built. Seth Eisenhower, Alex Kuhn, and Kathleen Wheeler will be working to find a composer for this commission.

High School Orchestra and Junior High Band

We need to vote on composers for these commissions by the Fall 2026 D2 Meeting.

Liaisons

Mary Ana Hicks and Rachel Covol will be helping D2 with this event. Please reach out to them with any questions or offers to help!

Update

There will be a draft map coming out via email. Lisa and I will collect your thoughts and take a summary to the state board. As of right now, D2 would lose Marion County.

S&E Rule Change

Starting in 2027, students will be allowed to take 2 or more solos in the same category. This rule only applies to solos, not ensembles.

LGAE Rule Change (Choir and Orchestra only)

Starting in 2027, students can perform in 2 of the same event category on the same instrument/voice part. The 2 ensembles must be competing in different classes.

Timeline

The PC staff is working to standardize the timeline for music distribution across all ensembles for subsequent years.

Due to weather, the festival this year had an earlier concert. The PC staff will continue to investigate how that timeline may be accommodated in the future (on purpose, not as a result of weather).

Listening Day

There was promising discussion at the meeting about holding the listening day at a more central location. Hopefully this will make that event more accessible/convenient to more directors.

Thursday Stage

Oak Harbor has worked with OMEA to create a Thursday stage for the event, BAND ONLY.

Scheduling

Schedule requests are honored in the order they are received. Travis hopes to have a schedule available by February 9th or 10th.

From Travis:

Each event chair should have access to a folder and a Google Doc. The Google Doc is embedded into the respective event pages, allowing you to update any information about your event as you see fit. Please note that it auto updates on the website every 5 minutes, so there is a brief delay. It is my hope to post all relevant information about each event on the website, creating a "one-stop-shop" for all relevant information.

If there is any information or changes you would like to see made to the website, please let me (Travis) know!

Stephanie Brower

As Briann Edwards continues to recover, Stephanie Brower will be stepping in as interim treasurer. When our election cycle comes up again, that position will be open for anyone who would like to run.

Please contact Stephanie with any financial questions. With the help of all of the officers, Jacob Hartman, and Mandy Polachek, we will get you an answer as soon as we can.

Lisa Carbone has set up a District 2 Facebook Group for our educators to get quick answers to questions, get help at events, etc.. Students and parents will NOT be allowed to join. At this time, please refrain from posting photos/videos that include students.

As much as I am SURE you love these infrequent, very long newsletters, we hope this Facebook Group will be a little more accessible. We are guessing you doom scroll on Facebook more than you doom scroll on your work email.

Documentation

Members requested the legal documentation which may help them advocate for students to NOT be removed from their music class to attend LifeWise. I have attached some documents below, please email the D2 listserv if you have any other helpful documents.

Ohio Revised Code

House Bill 8 (top of page 5)

USE THIS

For any programs, advertisements, or communication.

NOT THIS

Apple looking thing. It's outdated. Don't use it.

Traveling Adjudications

OMEA is piloting a program that will bring adjudicators to schools that are not able to travel to a LGAE. These schools would receive comment sheets, ratings, and a clinic from the judge, but no sight reading.

Artificial Intelligence and Music Education

Academy Webinars

These webinars may be counted as contact hours toward license renewal. Please get them pre-approved by your district or state Department of Education.

NAfME Connect

Mentorship avenue for new teachers.

Local Advocacy Action Plan

MIOSM Merch

January 28th-30th - OMEA PDC

February 6th - High School Solo & Ensemble

Genoa and Harding

February 19th-20th - State Orchestra

March 12th-13th - High School Large Group (Band and Choir)

Oak Harbor

April 17th - Junior High Solo & Ensemble

New London

April 23rd-24th - High School State Band and Choir

Unknown

May 14th-15th - Junior High Large Group

Harding

OMEA AE Master Calendar

President

Brian Stevens

Adjunct Professor of Music Education at Capital University Conservatory of Music

Immediate Past President

Dan Ruckman

Director of Bands at Coldwater Exempted Village Schools

President-Elect

Danielle Shaub

General Music and Elementary Choirs at Lake Local Schools

Treasurer

Tim Hoagland

Director of Bands at Eastern Local Schools

Secretary

Tyler Husosky

Band Director at Lakeview Local School District

Editor of TRIAD

Stephanie Bonitz

Director of Bands at Streetsboro City Schools

President

Melissa Alemán - Norwalk City Schools

President-Elect

Lisa Carbone - New London Local Schools

Interim Secretary/Treasurer

Stephanie Brower - Genoa Area Local Schools

Website Coordinator

Travis Magoto - Oak Harbor Schools

Communications Coordinator

Jim Funk - Enjoying Retirement

Immediate Past-President

Rod Miller - Kelleys Island Local School

OMEA D2 Website

OMEA D2 Newsletter

Updates from the Winter 2026 D2 and State Board Meetings

Google Form

Would you be in favor of a D2 meeting on a Friday?

Junior High Honors Festival

HS Honors Festival - Band Audition Music

HS Honors Band Audition Music - Google Drive

Junior High Orchestra

High School Choir

High School Orchestra and Junior High Band

Liaisons

Update

S&E Rule Change

LGAE Rule Change (Choir and Orchestra only)

Timeline

Listening Day

Thursday Stage

Scheduling

From Travis:

Stephanie Brower

OMEA D2 | Facebook

Documentation

USE THIS

NOT THIS

Traveling Adjudications

President

Immediate Past President

President-Elect

Treasurer

Secretary

Editor of TRIAD

President

President-Elect

Interim Secretary/Treasurer

Website Coordinator

Communications Coordinator

Immediate Past-President

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Communicate quickly and effectively with interactive newsletters.

Action Items for You! Action Items for You!

Google Form

Would you be in favor of a D2 meeting on a Friday?

Junior High Honors Festival

HS Honors Festival - Band Audition Music

Commission Project Commission Project

Junior High Orchestra

High School Choir

High School Orchestra and Junior High Band

Instrument Drive Instrument Drive

Liaisons

Redistricting Redistricting

Update

Adjudicated Events - Rule Changes Adjudicated Events - Rule Changes

S&E Rule Change

LGAE Rule Change (Choir and Orchestra only)

D2 High School Honors Festivals D2 High School Honors Festivals

Timeline

Listening Day

D2 Large Group Adjudicated Event D2 Large Group Adjudicated Event

Thursday Stage

Scheduling

D2 Website D2 Website

From Travis:

Treasurer Position Treasurer Position

Stephanie Brower

District 2 is on Facebook! District 2 is on Facebook!

Music as a Core Subject Music as a Core Subject

Documentation

Branding Branding

USE THIS

NOT THIS

OMEA on the Go! OMEA on the Go!

Traveling Adjudications

NAfME Resources NAfME Resources

2027 Events 2027 Events

OMEA Board of Trustees OMEA Board of Trustees

President

Immediate Past President

President-Elect

Treasurer

Secretary

Editor of TRIAD

District 2 Officers District 2 Officers

President

President-Elect

Interim Secretary/Treasurer

Website Coordinator

Communications Coordinator

Immediate Past-President

Created with

Communicate quickly and effectively with interactive newsletters.