Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--High school junior, senior and other students interested in music are invited to register for the 2008 Music Discovery Day being organized Nov. 24 at Mississippi State.
Sponsored by the university's music department, the free information-sharing program is designed, in part, to help meet a growing shortage of music educators.
Registration should be completed by Nov. 17 at http://music.msstate.edu.
In addition, the department is offering a special audition workshop on campus the following day for brass musicians, regardless of age and experience level.
"Mississippi currently has a shortage of music educators and, with many directors planning to retire in the next five years, the shortage only promises to present a greater challenge for schools in the near future," said Craig Aarhus, associate director of MSU Bands.
"Numerous jobs remain unfilled at this point of the 2008-09 school year," he added. "We are, indeed, at a crossroads with music education in this state,"
Registration for Music Discovery Day is being required only to help organizers with program scheduling, explained Aarhus, also the music department's recruiting coordinator.
"We wish to emphasize that all students interested in music or music education majors are welcomed," he said. "Even those not planning to attend MSU after graduation are encouraged to attend."
The department's brass audition workshop on the 25th is open to musicians at the high school-university levels.
Associate professor Richard Human, workshop coordinator, said the mock audition session should be especially helpful for those seeking to earn slots in Lions, all-state, professional, and university bands.
For more workshop information or to register, visit http://msubrass.info/.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.