Feb 09 2025 38 mins 1
Amy Clement has taught orchestra in Gwinnett County since 1997. She is currently in her 16th year as one of the orchestra directors at North Gwinnett Middle School. Orchestras under the direction of Ms. Clement have consistently received superior ratings at Large Group Performance Evaluation and her students also participate in solo/ensemble, countywide honor orchestras, MYSO, ASYO and Georgia all-state orchestra. The NGMS orchestra received the GMEA Exemplary Performance Award in 2009, 2015, and the NGMS fine arts department received the first GMEA Music Program of the Year in 2018. Under Ms. Clement’s leadership, the NGMS 8th grade orchestra was selected to perform at the GMEA conference in Athens January of 2024, and Savannah January of 2012. The NGMS honor orchestra was selected to perform at the Midwest Band and Orchestra clinic in December of 2013 and Carnegie Hall in April of 2017.
Ms. Clement has presented at conferences in Georgia, the national ASTA conference in Orlando as well as the Utah Music Educators Association. She has served as a clinician and adjudicator throughout Georgia. Ms. Clement has held leadership positions as Georgia ASTA treasurer, GA ASTA President, was a member of the ASTA K-12 committee (2018-2020), GMEA District 13 orchestra division chair (2010-2012), GMEA District 13 treasurer (2016-2018) and GMEA Vice-President in charge of all state events (2017-2019). She is currently Past President of Georgia ASTA and is one of two middle school orchestra lead teachers for Gwinnett County Public Schools. In 2012, she was awarded GMEA’s Volunteer of the Year.
A native of Louisville, KY, Ms. Clement began studying the violin at age five at the University of Louisville. She is a graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans where she studied violin with Valerie Poullette and string education with Dean Angeles. Ms. Clement received her BM in music performance and MME in string education. She and her husband Andy live in Lawrenceville, Georgia, with their dogs Zoey & Lovey.
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Sarah Ball has been teaching orchestra for twenty-eight years, currently at North Gwinnett Middle School in Sugar Hill, Ga, where she is one of three orchestra directors. The NGMS orchestra program has 600+ students enrolled in grades 6-8. The 8th grade orchestra was selected to perform at GMEA in January (2012 and 2024), and received the GMEA Exemplary Performance Award in 2009 and 2015. In December 2013, the NGMS Honor Orchestra was one of three middle school orchestras selected internationally to perform in Chicago, Illinois at the Midwest Clinic, and has performed at Carnegie Hall.
Mrs. Ball has presented professional development sessions at the school, county, state and national level including the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, national ASTA conference and The Ohio State University String Teacher’s Workshop, and the Habits Institute in Charleston, SC. She is active as a clinician, adjudicator, and conductor throughout the country. Mrs. Ball is on the author team for the new GIA Publication, Habits of a Successful Young String Musician. She is passionate about making learning fun, impactful, and inspiring all while holding students to highs standards. Ball started violin at the age of 10 in the Henderson County (NC) strings program. She currently resides in Johns Creek, Georgia with her husband Jerrod, and their cats, Topsy and Turvy.
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