Hello Everyone:

This is the first Newsletter of many that you will be receiving from me - first by email and then by our official Michigan IAJE Web site. On behalf of the Michigan officers, let me say it is a pleasure for us to serve you and help you in our mutual quest to spread all things Jazz throughout our great state.

Let me begin by introducing your new state officers:

Brian Coyle (President), Bob Nixon (Vice President), Kevin Dobreff (Treasurer) and Eileen Standley (Secretary). I was going to do the old gig joke where we all shake hands etc., but you all know that one.....so.....never-mind.

Seriously, it is a tremendous pleasure to serve you and we will do anything that we can to help you with your musical needs. Back in October many of the officers met to discuss the state of the Michigan Unit and several important issues came to the forefront. The following is a list of issues that we felt needed to be addressed quickly.

• Increase membership
• Develop a Newsletter to inform membership of activities, issues and events, etc.
• Develop a website that will serve as a central point of information for IAJE, Educators, Performers and other Jazz related organizations in the state of MI
• Interface more closely with MSBOA, MENC and other education based organizations
• Become more active, visible, and accessible to membership and other organizations (ie.) a booth and general membership meeting at the annual Music Educators In-service in January
• Meet not only the minimum state standards, but strive to be an exemplary unit
• Return to the IAJE approved election cycle
• Solicit nominees for President-Elect and hold an Election
• Appoint an Executive Board consisting of Area Chairs in the fields of:
  Univ./College Music, Secondary Music, Elementary Music, Vocal Music, String Music, and Theory and Improvisation
• Appoint a Webmaster once the Web site is operational. This person will also serve as a member of the Executive Board
• Contact and solicit ideas from the membership

Since our October meeting several positive developments have occurred. First, I have updated the constitution. It will come to you as an MS Word attachment at the bottom of this email. In order to ratify this updated constitution we need to have a vote of the membership. I think the best way to do this will be to vote via email. If you approve the new constitution, simply do not reply. If you have issues with the updates, please email me with your thoughts. Again, no reply approves the constitution and a reply to the negative is a no vote. The updates were largely language related, but some information is new and relates to bringing the state up to current national IAJE standards.

Second, I am in the process of developing a Web site for the state. This will hopefully be up and running in a basic form sometime in the early spring. This site will serve the IAJE membership, but it is my hope that it will also serve as a central point of information for other jazz related organizations.

This is where I need your help:

• Please email me with contact information for the various state jazz societies, radio stations, newsletters, and other jazz related organizations. Please send me items even if you think I am aware of them . I think this site could be of great assistance to all people interested in jazz.
• Also, we will need to appoint a webmaster after the site is developed in its basic form. This person will be responsible for maintaining the site. If you are interested or know someone who might be interested, please email me to that effect.

Third, I have a booth reserved at the Music Educators In-Service in Ann Arbor in January. Please stop by the booth to chat. Also, please encourage your colleagues and friends to join IAJE. They can pick up information at the booth. Also, Also, please attend the IAJE Reading Band clinic led by Michigan Legend Jack Pierson. This will be January 22, 2005 at 2:00 PM. Also, Also, Also, please stay tuned to a future announcement as to where and when our general meeting will be held at the In-Service. Also....(only kidding).

Fourth, as mentioned this is the first of many communications in Newsletter form that you will receive from me. It is important that everyone is informed and it is my hope to keep you all in the loop. Please email or call me if you have any questions or concerns at anytime.

Fifth, in addition to the national conference which will be held on January 2-8, 2005 in Long Beach, CA, the first ever Mid-West Regional conference will be held on April 8 and 9, 2005 in Chicago, IL. This is going to be an exciting event. You can check out more information by going to (http://www.iaje.org) and following the links to the regional conference.

As I mentioned earlier, it is a pleasure to serve as your IAJE President. I am here for you. I am really excited about the future of our unit and I look forward to working with you for the next two years. I have included several attachments below for your perusal.

Peace

Brian Coyle
IAJE Michigan President
Director of Jazz Studies – Hope College