1955 - 1959 Conventions

The first two TCDA Conventions were held in Dallas, and all Conventions since have been held in San Antonio. Following is a recap of each Convention since 1955. This information was taken from Convention Programs and other archival references in the TCDA offices in Austin. Special thanks to former TCDA Executive Secretary J Marvin Pollard for gathering information from TCDA’s early years.

If you have any additional information that would make this TCDA Convention history more complete, please contact TCDA.

October 1955

Meeting for discussion and planning for a music reading clinic for Texas choir directors

Hosted by
Brook Mays Music Co.
Jack Mahan
Earl Tom Keel

Attendees
Earl Tom Keel
Wesley Coffman
Jane Ellis
Flora Lee Pope
Harold Lichtenwald
Orville Borschers (SMU)
T Smith McCorkle (TCU)
Donald Bellah (TWC)
Walter Hodgson (NTSC)
Frank McKinley (NTSC)

1956  •  TMEA Convention, Galveston, February

1956  •  First Music Reading Clinic
Cactus Room, Adolphus Hotel, Dallas, June 25-26

Officers (elected for a 2-year term)
President - Earl Tom Kell
Vice President - Herbert Teat
Secretary/Treasurer - Flora Lee Pope

Reading Session Conductors
Wayne Bedford
Ed Hatchett
Hearald Headley
Dan Burkholder
Cothburn O'Neal
Roy Johnson
Travis Shelton
Frank McKinley

Luncheon Address
Cothburn O'Neal
Arlington State College

The summer choir of NTSC were participants, with attending members, in the music reading chorus.

1957  •  2nd TCDA Convention and Music Reading Clinic, Dallas, June

Officers
President - Earl Tom Keel
Vice President - Herbert Teat
Secretary/Treasurer - Flora Lee Pope

(NOTE: The site of this meeting and directors of reading sessions were not reported in the TCDA member magazine which began in 1959.)

1957  •  Site Evaluation Committee Meeting, August

Committee Members
J B Furrh
Karl Hickfang
Mike Johnstone
B R Henson
Frank Hughes

The committee gathered in San Antonio to observe the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention-Clinic.

February 1958  •  TCDA Meeting at the TMEA Convention

Herbert Teat presided over the meeting. The Site Evaluation Committee reported its findings and recommended that TCDA's music reading clinic move to San Antonio and be scheduled to follow immediately after the Texas Bandmaster's Convention-Clinic. The recommendation was adopted and passed. New officers were elected (see below).

1958  •  3rd Annual Convention and New Music Reading Clinic
Gunter Hotel, San Antonio, August 20-22

Officers
President - B R Henson
Vice President - J B Furrh
Secretary/Treasurer - J F Lenzo, Jr

Session Conductors/Clinicians
Daniel P Tkach
Victor Alessandro
Robert Bedford
Bess Heronymus
Frank Hughes,
Gerald Ingraham
Archie Jones
Euell Porter

Entertainment
Bernstein's "Trouble in Tahiti." Raymond Moses, director of the Thomas Jefferson HS Opera Workshop

Business
A Constitution was adopted. Two offices were added: Historian-Parliamentarian (Alfred Skoog elected) and Sergeant-at-Arms (Karl Hickfang elected)

1959  •  4th Annual Convention and New Music Reading Clinic
Gunter Hotel, San Antonio, August 19-21

Officers
President - B R Henson
Vice President - J B Furrh
Secretary/Treasurer - J F Lenzo, Jr
Historian-Parliamentarian - Alfred Skoog
Sergeant-at-Arms - Karl Hickfang

Session Conductors/Clinicians
George Lynn, Euell Porter, Mrs Josephine Petty, Henry Holloway, Victor Alessandro, Houston
Bright, Jeannine Hager*, and Betty Indihar*

* The first time interest sessions in Elementary Music were scheduled simultaneously with Reading Sessions.

Entertainment
Haydn's The Songstress, Jeanine Hager, director, Del Mar College Music Theater, Corpus Christi

Business
An Elementary Division was established by the Board; Joe Lenzo was appointed Executive Secretary.