ITEA State/Chapter Representation
By Eileen Meyer Russell, Co-Membership Coordinator

originally published in the ITEA Journal Volume 33 Number 1 Fall 2005

In the summer of 2002 I attended a Symphonia Tuba-Euphonium Workshop held in Interlochen, Michigan. At the event I became acquainted with several active members of ITEA, and I was inspired to become more involved in the organization. I volunteered to serve as an ITEA State Representative for Texas with a focus on the southern portion of the state. Gail Robertson, who currently serves as a State Representative for Florida, initiated the concept of state representatives as a way to gain assistance with ITEA business from members all around the country. Deanna Swoboda, Membership Coordinator for ITEA, oversees the state representatives. Swoboda, who is highly organized, sends reps an academic year timeline of duties to complete each month.  

The first year I served as a state representative I didn't succeed at completing everything on the rep assignment list.   By at least initiating most of the assignments I learned a great deal about ITEA, and I provided membership information to many others in my community. I became so much more aware of what ITEA can offer my students and consequently my students have become more involved in the association, even forming a chapter of ITEA at our college. Some of the rep responsibilities, such as taking flyers to the local TubaChristmas events, did not involve any extra work on my part because I participated in TubaChristmas concerts each year.   Other duties, such as studying or possibly contributing to the Youth Talk section of the ITEA website, were very informative to me and ended up saving me tons of time the next time a student asked for a resource that was available on the site. For example, Ron Von Dreau, Instructor of Tuba and Euphonium at Oklahoma City University and a State Representative for Texas with a focus on the northern portion of the state, has contributed several exercises geared towards younger students to the Youth Talk. Ron serves as a rep to his area by directing his students to the materials on the website with the intention of inspiring them to join ITEA.  

Jared Riley is an undergraduate music major at Pittsburg State University and a student of Doug Whitten. As a performer on both tuba and euphonium, Jared was eager to become involved in ITEA. He contacted Swoboda and volunteered his services as a State Representative for Kansas. While some might think that completing ITEA rep duties in addition to homework and practicing would be too much for a student, Jared has managed his rep assignments by taking on each task in small parts. Jared enjoys working as a rep and has been successful in increasing the number of ITEA members in his immediate area, such as fellow low brass students at his school. He says he finds it a joy to keep in touch with others who feel the same way he does about the tuba and euphonium. Jared is serving as a rep because he wants to contribute to making ITEA better by providing young low brass players with information to encourage them to join ITEA.

This academic year I have agreed to assist Deanna Swoboda by recruiting representatives for the twenty-three states where none exist at this time (see below). This fall I will communicate via email with members living in those states. My hope is to find individuals who might consider serving or who might lead me to another person who would enjoy the responsibilities and rewards of being a state rep. A perfect representative might be someone you know, such as a low brass player who makes a living in a profession other than music, or an organized and enthusiastic music student, such as Jared Riley. If you would like to be rep or if you know someone else that you would recommend, please contact me at erussell@delmar.edu or by leaving a message at 361-698-1604.

ITEA State Representatives are needed for the following states :
Alabama
Alaska
California
Connecticut
Illinois
Kentucky
Maine
Maryland
Minnesota
Mississippi
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
New York
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
West Virginia

Bio
Eileen Meyer Russell is an Associate Professor of Music at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas. Before coming to Del Mar College in 1995 she taught at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee and Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana. In addition to her teaching position in Corpus Christi, Dr. Russell serves as a Euphonium Instructor at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, Michigan. Dr. Russell holds degrees from Indiana University (Bachelor of Music in Trombone Performance and Doctor of Music in Brass Pedagogy) and the University of Northern Iowa (Master of Music in Trombone Performance) and she is a trombone clinician and artist with C.G. Conn.