It is my pleasure to welcome all new music educators to the North Central District and to wish the veteran teachers a great school year. The North Central District Board has been busy planning for auditions as well as preparing for our upcoming clinics and mini- conventions. Our website at nckmea.org has been updated and now includes all information regarding North Central District auditions, as well as web-based entry forms and schedules.

We return to Junction City High School for this year's District High School Honor Groups auditions on Saturday, November 7th, 2015. Our district's best high school musicians will gather at Manhattan High School on Saturday, December 5th, 2015, for the annual North Central District High School Music Mini-Convention. The Middle Level Clinic/Concert will be held at Junction City Middle School on Saturday, January 16th, 2016. Our final event will be the Elementary Choir Clinic/Concert on Saturday, February 6th, 2016 held at Junction City Middle School.

Special thanks to the Manhattan High School, Junction City High School, and Junction City Middle School music departments for preparing the facilities to host the auditions, rehearsals, and performances of our honor groups. Directors are needed from the North Central District to serve as judges. Please contact Chris Richmond, Jake Montoya, Kevin Johnson or David Bernard-Stevens if you are interested in adjudicating these auditions. As President, I am truly blessed with outstanding chairpersons at every level. These people need a well-deserved thank you if you get the chance to meet them.

The clinician for the 2015 North Central District Honor Band will be Dr. Michael Mapp. Dr. Mapp is the Director of Bands/Assistant Director of Music at Washburn University. Dr. Mapp received his Bachelor of Music Education at New Mexico State University, his Master of Music at Wichita State University, and his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Kansas.

The clinician for the 2015 North Central District Honor choir will be Dr. Mark Lucas. Dr. Lucas is an Associate Professor of Music and the Director of Choral Activities at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas where he is also director of the Bethany Oratorio Society and Co-Chair of the Department of Music. At Bethany, Mark teaches conducting, music education courses, voice lessons and is the conductor of the Bethany College Choir and Bethany College Chamber Ensemble. He is also the Senior Choir Director at Messiah Lutheran Church in Lindsborg.

The clinician for the 2015 North Central District Honor Orchestra will be Dr. Kenneth Meints. Dr. Meints is in his tenth season as Musical Director and Conductor of Orchestra Omaha. Prior to his appointment in 2006, Dr. Meints conducted both student and adult orchestras in Illinois, California and Nebraska. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Music at Peru State College, Where he teaches applied brass, instrumental methods, conducting pedagogy and interdisciplinary courses in music. He recently completed his Doctor of Music Arts in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and also holds a Master's Degree in Trombone from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

The clinician for the 2015 North Central District Honor Jazz Band will be Daryl Batchelor. Mr. Batchelor served as the Director of Jazz Studies and instructor of trumpet at Hutchinson Community College for thirteen years.