University of Florida-Gainesville
Saturday, November 1, 2025
11:00 am to 7:00 pm
Regionals Audition Process
Joani Slawson
Honor Choir
Joani Slawson has been a teacher and choral director in Florida for over twenty-five years. . In 1999 she graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Music Education degree. Her primary instrument is voice and her specialty is choral directing. She taught music in Florida public schools for twenty years and is currently in her seventh year as the music teacher at Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy. Joani was a 2018 Semi-Finalist for the Grammy Music Educator Award. She was also a 2023 and 2017 Quarter-Finalist for the Grammy Music Educator Award. Saturn Elementary earned the Florida Arts Model School Designation from 2018 – 2021 under her direction. She has served as Elementary All-County chorus clinician throughout Florida. In 2011 Joani was selected as a Yale Distinguished Music Educator. In 2007 she was the Saturn Elementary Teacher of the Year. Ms. Slawson was an FEMEA President and served on the board for ten years. She directed the Brevard Youth Chorus from 2009-2017.
Billy Ferguson
Honors Orff Ensemble
Billy Ferguson retired from elementary music education after 31 years in Texas Public Schools. During his time there his students were selected to perform at Texas MEA twice and the AOSA national conference. Billy is an active clinician at the local, state and national level as well as an AOSA certified Teacher Educator for Orff Pedagogy Levels 1 and 2. After retirement he bought Sweet Pipes (pipes meaning recorders), a 40 year old business that sells everything elementary music. 3 years ago Sweet Pipes moved to Port Orange Florida and Billy became a Floridian.
Regional Schedule(subject to change)
11:00 Registration
11:30-12:15 Rehearsal Session 1
12:15-12:30 Mixer Game (Chorus, Orff, Modern Band)
12:30-1:15 Rehearsal Session 2
1:15-1:30 Break
1:30-2:15 Rehearsal Session 3
2:15-3:00 Lunch Break
3:00-3:45 Rehearsal Session 4
3:45-4:00 Break
4:00-5:00 Rehearsal Session 5
5:00-5:15 Break
5:15 Dress Rehearsal
6:00 Concert
*Rehearsal Times and Breaks subject to change.