You Are AMEA!

Feb 22 2024

If I’m completely honest, I’ve had a difficult time thinking of what this article should cover. In normal years, this article would cover the great successes of our conference. We would all glow about the fantastic performances, the thought-provoking sessions, and the time shared with like-minded colleagues. However, this year is different. We are not left with fond memories, but merely our wonderings of what could’ve been.

Many of you know that I enjoy spending my limited free time in library archives researching the past. Learning about the past always gives me great comfort and clarity. I visited the Auburn University Archives the Sunday after we decided to cancel the conference to examine the Ala Breve from the early years of our Association. While there wasn’t a full set of every volume of the Ala Breve, I did gain an appreciation and perspective from our past.

The very first issue of Ala. breve (original spelling) was published in November 1955. The president of AMEA was Lamar Triplett. I will be honest; I was taken aback when I saw the first president’s column in the Ala. breve. You see, I have heard many stories about Mr. Triplett because Mr. Triplett was my Dad’s junior high school band director. Actually, Mr. Triplett is one of the people who encouraged my Dad to become a music educator. It was also Mr. Triplett who encouraged AMEA to host a conference. “To knit our organization closer, reach all phases of music education, a meeting of all music educator personnel, elementary through college level, with clinics for all levels, performing groups at all levels, and panels for discussion of all our mutual problems, would greatly increase our understanding of each other, and give administrators a better understanding of our values in the teaching of music and most of all the relationship of music to the overall educational curriculum in the state” (Triplett, 1956, p. 1).

During the early years of AMEA, the conference was held in conjunction with All-State. In fact, All-State was held for all the divisions during the same three days in March at the University of Alabama. All-State was the cornerstone of the AMEA conference. During the conference, there were meetings and clinics for all divisions and a Friday evening banquet with a dinner and dancing. Don’t worry – I’m not suggesting we bring back the Friday night dancing!

I continued thumbing through the old issues of Ala. breve. I smiled at the many pictures and columns from music education legends in AMEA’s history. I loved seeing pictures of Dr. Ed Cleino and Dr. Lacey Powell in their early years; they were both so kind to me as an early career music teacher. I laughed at the many impassioned pleas from the membership chairperson for people to join AMEA and MENC. It was fascinating to learn about the early stages and implementation of hosting the first conference. It’s important to note that AMEA existed for almost 8-10 years before a conference was hosted.

Sadly, the archives do not have a complete set of the Ala Breve. I also checked other university’s holdings – no university has a complete set of the Ala Breve. If you have issues of the Ala Breve from the 1960s-1990s, we would love to scan them and place them on AMEA’s new website that will launch this summer.

My journey into our Association’s past ended with the April 1960 issue. Of course, we can view the last 19 years of Ala Breve on the AMEA website. However, I would have loved to see more from the 60s-90s. I had more questions to be answered. I wanted to know when Ala. breve became Ala Breve. How did the Association handle canceling the conference in the early 90s? I would have loved to see the growth of our conference over the decades.

Although we often refer to AMEA as the three-day conference we attend in January, AMEA is more than just a conference. For me, AMEA is a collection of hard-working music educators, devoted music education supporters and advocates, and students eager to make music. AMEA is an organization made up of people. I agree with an editorial published in the second issue of the Ala. breve, “Clearly the only objective of A.M.E.A. is to advance the cause of music education through a cooperative organization of musicians and music educators…Come on in. We can rise to such lofty heights and make such beautiful music…TOGETHER”. (Ala breve, 1956, p. 5). For me, AMEA has always been about the people. I’m often asked why people should join AMEA and NAfME and my response has always stayed the same – the people. My life has been enriched because of the people I have met as a musician and music educator.

It would be disingenuous for me not to use this President’s Column to recognize the fabulous work our people have been doing. Even though we didn’t have a conference, so much work went into planning the conference. The AMEA staff – Dr. Rusty Logan, Garry Taylor, Pat Stegall, and David Raney completed countless hours of work before the decision was made to cancel the conference. In addition, they all have done countless hours of work after the decision was made to cancel the conference. In addition, Joey Harbison has been invaluable with our industry members and helping Rusty with the exhibitors. AMEA would not be as strong of an Association without our hardworking staff! Thank you, Rusty, Garry, Pat, and David for your dedication to AMEA.

I hope you will all take a moment to thank your division presidents. They spent hours planning a fantastic conference for all of you. They had to witness countless dreams and plans dissipate with one board motion and vote. Many of them have also had to deal with the herculean task of rescheduling All-States, honor groups, and performing ensembles to ensure the students still receive the benefit of AMEA performances. Thank you, Lori, Joe, Hilen, Alicia, Meghan, Carly, and Sarah for serving your divisions and AMEA with integrity.

In addition, Heather Holmes served all of us with grace and a calming presence. Thank you, Heather, for your gentle spirit, perspective, and kindness during this time.

I have been blessed to be friends with our President-elect for over 25 years. Phil has provided me with perspective, guidance, and friendship that is immeasurable. Thank you, Phil, for being the calm and reassuring voice throughout this experience. I am blessed by your friendship, and I know AMEA will be blessed by your leadership.

I want to thank all of you for your patience and understanding as we had to make difficult decisions and deal with the ramifications of our decisions. I’m thankful for the many calls, texts, and messages of support for the AMEA Board. Thank you to our clinicians who prepared fantastic sessions for all of us. Most of all, thank you to our directors and students who were set to perform at the conference. I know what a disappointment canceling the conference was for all of you, however, I have been so encouraged by your individual communities’ support. It has brought me great joy to see “AMEA Conference” concerts happening throughout our state. As I said earlier, AMEA is more than a conference – you brought AMEA to the people of Alabama. Thank you for ensuring that the music of the AMEA conference still happened.

Earlier, I said my Ala Breve archive hunt ended in 1960, but that’s not entirely true. While the archives did end in 1960, they picked back up in March of 2001. As I thumbed through the March 2001 issue of Ala Breve I saw a familiar face – mine. There on page 10, was a fresh-faced student teacher that had their final article as the cMENC state president. As I sat and stared at my picture in the Ala Breve, I couldn’t help but be humbled and grateful that I am part of this incredible organization. Although I may have some age on me and a lot of music-teaching battle scars, my words from 2001 still ring true in 2024.

“I am very appreciative and feel fortunate to have served you as President this year. You all have allowed me to spread my wings and see the music education world from a different perspective. I look forward to joining what I feel is the most noble profession, teaching. On top of that, teaching music. Through music, we have the opportunity to teach children how to create something intimate and self-rewarding. We must always look for ways to move on and ever upward towards excellence. Never settle for just sliding by, and never give up!” (Lyda, 2001, p. 10).

We must remember that AMEA is more than a conference. AMEA is an organization of impassioned people. We are people who work each day to provide and ensure the children of Alabama have access to music education. TOGETHER we can change the lives of students through the power of music. I’m eternally grateful for you and your work in our state. Thank you, friends, for allowing me to be part of AMEA’s journey in the past, the present, and into the future.

From the President

Oct 13 2023

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers!” To be honest, I’ve never read Anne of Green Gables, but I’ve always loved that quote. When I was a child, I thought October when the leaves change, and the weather is crisp and cool was mythical.  Growing up in the Panhandle of Florida, I never experienced a true Fall or October. The temperature would get cooler and there would be less humidity, Winn Dixie would put pumpkins in the produce section, and the pine needles would begin falling off the trees – all those things would signal Fall for the people of the Florida Panhandle.

I can still remember “the tree” that made me fall in love with Fall.  One late September or early October afternoon during my freshman year at Troy, I decided to take a back road to my travel trailer at Swindall’s RV Park after band practice. There in the distance on County Road 26 was the most beautiful orange-colored tree. I had seen pictures and movies of multicolored trees; in all honesty, I questioned if that was even real. I had never seen anything like it in person. I stopped my car and got out on the side of the road to admire the majestic splendor of Fall.

When I taught at Notasulga I enjoyed the trees on my morning commute in the Fall. I remember one particular Fall and one particular field of trees. Every tree was green, except one. The one tree had already changed to a vibrant red that appeared almost on fire compared to the other trees. I drove past that field for several weeks before the other trees decided to join in and change colors.

Every time I drove past the field and saw the red tree, it made me think about change. When to make a change? The fact that change is scary. Is collective change better than individual change? The person that changes, are they brave or foolish for changing early? Why do we need to change?

I finally settled on the idea that it takes one person or tree to change, to be brave enough to initiate change, and eventually others will change. I’ve been thinking about change a lot as we’ve been preparing for the 2024 AMEA Professional Development Conference. We are changing locations. We are offering new things. We are expanding our offerings to include more music educators, more ways to engage with students, and more types of music.

Let’s think for a minute about how much our organization has changed since I joined 26 years ago. We have a staff of four instead of one Executive Director. We meet in conference centers instead of on a university campus. Our membership has grown. We have a Hill Day. We added the Higher Education Division. AMEA and our divisions have held conferences or events in Tuscaloosa, Auburn, Montgomery, Mobile, Birmingham, and Huntsville. We have had three different sets of standards. We have weathered a global financial crisis, proration, and a global pandemic.  We have had to make changes and adjustments through the years and each time we have become stronger as an organization. Change has led our organization to be vibrant and better serve our members and their students.

The other reason why I love October is because of the conference issue of the Ala Breve! I love seeing what groups will be performing, who will be presenting, and planning to see friends. I know this conference brings a change in venue, but I can honestly say I am excited and welcome the opportunity to be in Huntsville!

Conference 2024

AMEA has never had the habit of giving a theme to our annual conference. However, if I were to give a theme to this year’s conference it would be – “Firsts in the Rocket City’. We will have three days of fabulous professional development sessions, soul-enriching concerts, eager exhibitors, fantastic food, and fellowship. I promise this year’s conference is one you will regret if you miss it.

Here are a few things you can look forward to experiencing at the conference.

This year we will feature our inaugural All-State Elementary Honor Choir as part of the Friday evening performances. Thank you to the elementary division and in particular, Melissa McIntrye, for their hard work and bringing this new All-State Honor Choir to fruition.

Thursday afternoon, in the Mars Music Hall, we will host our first Open Mic event for popular/commercial/industry music ensembles from 12:00-5:00. This event will allow k-12 and higher education groups a place to perform as part of the conference. Each group will be allowed to perform a 20-minute set of covers or original music. Space is limited and registration will open on November 1. The director of the ensemble must be a member of AMEA and register for the conference.

Our featured speaker for the leadership breakfast will be Dr. Rob Deemer from the State University of New York at Fredonia. Many of you may know Dr. Deemer’s work as the Founder and Director of the Institute for Composer Diversity. In addition, Dr. Deemer will present two sessions for our membership on teaching composition and Composer Diversity. I have known Rob for several years and he is a fantastic resource and I’m glad he will spend a few days with us in Alabama.

When I was a kid, my dad belonged to the Columbia CD club and we eagerly awaited new music each month arriving in the mail. I can still remember the month Take 6’s debut album arrived. Sorry, we don’t have Take 6 as our featured performer. We are having the ensemble that birthed Take 6 – The Aeolians of Oakwood University under the direction of Mr. Jeremy Jordan. I can’t wait for their performance during the General Session on Friday.

Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Scott Burstein, the Education Director of Music Will. Scott will be speaking about expanding music education to reach all students in our schools. His keynote will be a thought-provoking time and an interactive time of collaborative music-making.

Finally – the food! You will find a list of restaurants around Von Braun Center. In addition, we have asked the Von Braun Center to open a concession stand in the exhibit hall to serve food. There are also two restaurants on-site – Rhythm on Monroe and the CO/OP in the Embassy Suites. Click on the restaurant name to find menus for Rhythm on Monroe and CO/OP). We listened to your feedback and added 30 minutes to lunch on Thursday and Friday. You should have plenty of time to eat, relax, and get back to sessions!

Last April Phil Wilson, Rusty Logan, and I did a site visit of the Von Braun Center during ABA’s All-State Festival. The AMEA Governing Board completed another site visit in August. We have tried to think of everything to make your experience in Huntsville the best possible. We want you to have an amazing time of fellowship and learning at this year’s AMEA!

Music Will & Modern Band 101

This past summer I was asked to attend the Modern Band Summit in Fort Collins, CO as part of a delegation from NAfME. I love a good conference and trust me, the Modern Band Summit was a good conference. There is only one way I can describe the experience – Summer Camp for Music Teachers. I spent four days learning, connecting with music teachers from all over the country, and making music. The highlight of the trip for me was performing as part of the NAfME Rock Band – “Ralph and the Association”. I’m sure if you search hard enough you can find a video of me playing tambourine on “Can’t Hold Us” and ukulele on “I Want it That Way”.

It would be hard to replicate the experience of the Modern Band Summit at our conference, but we are going to try and replicate one facet. I’m pleased to announce that on Saturday of our conference from 10:30 – 4:30, we will offer Modern Band 101 with Dr. Scott Burstein. Here is a course description:

“This course covers the basic core values of Music Will: how we teach music-making, improvisation, and composition by getting our students into a comfort zone using student-centered instruction, approximation, and scaffolding. Participants are introduced to the instruments of modern band: guitar, keyboard, drums, vocals, bass, and technology, and learn basic playing skills and pedagogy for each. Participants will also use their new musical skills to compose and perform an original song in a collaborative setting.”

At the conclusion of Modern Band 101, participants will receive a certificate and be awarded an additional 6 hours of PD credit. Modern Band 101 is a free add-on to your conference registration. Registration is limited to 45 people. The registration link for Modern Band 101 will open on November 1, 2023. You must be registered for the conference to participate.

Capitol Tunes

Each Thursday in February and March the rotunda of the State Capitol is filled with music. AMEA is once again partnering with the Alabama State Department of Education to offer public school music groups the chance to perform in the rotunda of the State Capitol. A bonus is that groups selected for performance receive a stipend to help offset the cost of transportation to Montgomery. Please visit the AMEA website for ensemble guidelines and the application.

The Capitol Tunes program is a fabulous way to showcase your small ensembles and advocate for music education. Thank you to Andy Meadows, ALSDE Arts Education Specialist, for his support and advocacy for this program. Please consider applying! The deadline for performance applications is November 1, 2023.

I’m glad I live in a world with Octobers, AMEA, and you. Thank you for all you do day in and day out to bring music to our students.  I hope you all have a vibrant Fall full of pumpkin spice, yellows, reds, oranges, and crisp cool air. I can’t wait to see all of you in Huntsville!

Let’s Refocus and Examine our Perspective

Aug 8 2023

One of the many things I love about being a member of AMEA and NAfME is that I am surrounded by passionate people. I’m not sure any other profession or any other subject in education allows students and teachers to work towards a common goal where everyone participates. Sure, in a math or English classroom students learn together, but they are evaluated on how well they individually perform. The music classroom is different. The music classroom is a magical place where collaborative performance, creation, response, and connection are birthed every day. I view my classroom as an incubator where students are constantly growing and developing new knowledge and skills.

I honestly think music teachers are special and unique in the education ecosystem. Could you imagine if other classes were taught like music or if other content areas were expected to attain the same level of success? In other subject areas, mastery is measured on a scale from 70-100%. I can’t imagine going to a concert or seeing a music teacher give any less than their best. We are accustomed to giving and expecting from our students 100% each time.

I’ve had the privilege to rack up a few frequent flyer miles this summer as I’ve traveled around the country working with music teachers. I’ve seen the same passion in music educators across the country. I’ve also noticed some of the same ills impacting music teachers and their programs as the ones I’ve observed in Alabama. Lack of resources, funding issues, scheduling problems, substitute shortages, feelings of lack of respect for teachers and their programs, and lack of qualified music teachers to fill all the vacancies this summer are common ills in all parts of the country.

I’ve thought a lot about perspective this summer. As I’ve looked out of plane windows and observed the landscape in miniature – I’ve thought about refocusing our perspective. What are the things we need to look at from 10,000 feet? What are the things we can control? What are the things that are worth fighting? Are we on an island or are we dealing with issues that are universal throughout education? What can we do as a profession to make everyone’s job and programs better? How can I help? These are just a few of the questions I‘ve asked myself as I’ve tried to gain and shift my perspective.

I can’t remember a time in my 23 years of teaching when anything about teaching was perfect. How many of you remember proration of the early 2000s or the great recession? I remember having to bring my own toilet paper to school. I will always be thankful to Steve McLendon for fighting and advocating for me when my school system decided to do away with summer employment and told me I wouldn’t get paid in October after I had already worked during the summer. I can’t remember a time during my teaching career when there weren’t ills, of some kind, that we all had to overcome. There have always been problems. We can’t let the problems consume us and force us into a vicious cycle of self-doubt and self-loathing that steals our passion.

Please don’t think I’m trying to minimize any of your problems. No one should teach in dangerous or unhealthy conditions. Teaching the past few years has been challenging. I will admit to you that the hardest years of my career happened during the pandemic. Many of us are still trying to recover from the ills of the pandemic. The pandemic gave us a natural time to refocus and examine our perspective. However, I’m afraid that too many people in education are ready to recreate the days before the pandemic. I’m not so sure that we remember the teaching conditions of yesteryear accurately.

We invest every fiber of our being into our programs and our students. Often, neglecting ourselves and sometimes even our family. Looking back on my career, the ills are the times when I learned to be a teacher. Our ills offer us two choices – give in to negativity or figure out how to make it happen.

Let me be the first to give you some encouragement this school year – I’m proud of you. I’m honored that you show up every day and work to provide your students with the best music education possible. I know there are days when you are tired when you don’t know how to keep going, and you ask yourself if all of this is worth it. Guess what…it is worth it. You are worth it. Your students are worth it. You do great work and are a light in the dark night for many of your students. Please never forget that you matter. We all have bad days and on the worst of those days, I want you to remember that you are doing incredibly important work. You bring joy, give hope, and make music with other human beings. We couldn’t do this without you.

Summer and breaks are important for us to recharge, reevaluate, and rest. I hope this summer was full of rest for you, your family, and your students. Please don’t ever hesitate to contact me if you need help. I will help you think through shifting your perspective or give you a pep talk. I will listen. I am here to help you; I know others are willing to help too. Please don’t feel alone this year. Connect with other members of AMEA, meet for dinner or coffee, and share your successes and worries. You don’t have to do this alone.

This summer was incredibly busy for AMEA. The Governing Board has worked to plan conference, launch new initiatives, and discuss how we can better serve our members.  I will discuss a few items of importance in the next few paragraphs.

Ala Breve

Welcome to the first digital issue of the 2023-2024 school year. Due to the cost of printing and mailing the Ala Breve, the Governing Board decided to offer three digital issues and one print issue this school year. The new digital format will allow for an interactive reading experience supported by new graphics, videos, and sound capabilities. We hope you enjoy this new format. At the end of this school year, we will evaluate the delivery format of the Ala Breve for the next school year.

Social Media Committee

We want to thank Dr. Carl Hancock for his years of dedicated service to AMEA as Media Specialist. The Governing Board realizes that Dr. Hancock’s shoes will be hard to fill! In the coming months, we will form a social media committee to create and publish content to AMEA’s social media pages. Specifically, we are looking for people that have strong social media publishing skills that can help us connect with our members and broaden our reach. We will publish a call for interested AMEA members in late August. Watch the AMEA newsletter and social media channels for more information.

Assistant Executive Director

We were fortunate that Garry Taylor continued to serve AMEA as assistant executive director last school year. The Governing Board will be publishing a call for interested members to apply for Assistant Executive Director for this school year. Please watch your email and AMEA’s social media channels for the call in August.

NAfME National Assembly and Hill Day

Each year NAfME is required to gather all State MEA Presidents, members of NAfME’s National Executive Board, and the Chairs of NAfME’s Societies and Councils to discuss the business of the Association. This year NAfME also brought back the Hill Day experience to allow us to meet and advocate for music education with our elected officials. Southern Division NAfME President-elect Susan Smith, cNAfME officers Sarah Hicks and Matthew Suit, and I met with staff members in both Senate offices, three Representatives’ offices, and with Rep. Terri Sewell.

I’m pleased to report that all our meetings were positive. However, our work isn’t done. The FY24 Budget is currently going through the appropriations process. The House budget is seeking to cut education spending to pre-2006 numbers. The Senate is still in the process of appropriations markup. We need every one of you and your supporters to contact our elected officials. We need to advocate for continuing to fund the FY24 education budget, at least, at current funding levels.

The draconian cuts proposed by the House would slash an average of four teaching units from each Title I school. Many of the state’s music teaching positions are funded through Title I funds. Please call, email, or use NAfME’s grassroots advocacy center to let your voice be heard. Many of our elected officials will be in Alabama during the August Congressional recess. It might be a good idea to schedule a meeting with your elected officials.

The simplest advocacy tool you can use is social media. Please continue to share about your programs using #ala4musiced.

CMA and NAfME State Advocacy Grant

AMEA was one of only three state MEAs selected to receive a $4,000.00 grant to be used for advocacy activities during the 2023-2024 school year. The focus of this grant will be on mentoring music teachers in their first five years of teaching, providing scholarships for cNAfME students enrolled in HBCUs to attend the AMEA Professional Development Conference, supporting first-year music educators to attend the AMEA Professional Development Conference and leadership training for AMEA’s 2024 Hill Day. More information will be distributed in the coming weeks about these programs.

Thank you to Dr. Diane Orlofsky and Dr. Phil Wilson for writing the grant with me and for their leadership with our mentoring and emerging leader programs. One way you could help us be more successful is by helping us connect with new music teachers in your area. If you know of a new teacher in need of a mentor, please contact Dr. Orlofsky (dorlof@troy.edu), Dr. Wilson (prwilson1898@gmail.com), or myself (lydarob@me.com) with their contact information. We want to do everything possible to support our new teachers.

I know many of you are fully engaged in back-to-school activities. I hope you will take time throughout this year to put things into perspective. If I can be of any help, please do not hesitate to contact me. I hope you focus on the joy of making music. I hope you have a fantastic school year. Welcome to another year of making music!

Music Education in Alabama – A Sound Investment

May 2 2023

When I taught band one of the most common questions I heard during the Spring semester was, “What’s the band doing now that marching season is over.” No mater how many times I was asked the question above, I was still taken aback. “What do you mean what is the band doing now that marching season is over?” The tone of my voice gave away my irritation. “Band is a year-round activity.” Then I would fill in the blanks with a litany of activities that the entire band and individual students participate in throughout the spring.

I’ve been thinking, for a while now, about how we can make the often invisible of our music programs visible to our communities. Of course, performances are the most visible part of music education, but what about the weeks and months of teaching and learning that build into a performance? Performing is only one piece of sequential and comprehensive music education. We need to convey, without coming across as bragging, that we and our students are busy in a never-ending cycle of teaching and learning. We need our parents, administrators, civic leaders, and boards of education to know that a performance is a mile marker on an education journey. Nothing can ever replicate the feeling of a performance, but the true magic of music education happens every day in music classrooms.

I think the first step is realizing that people truly do not understand what we do. In all honesty, how many of you actually understood what it truly meant to be a music educator until you became a music educator? Just like we teach our students how to be musicians, we must teach our communities how to be supporters of music. The tricky part is making sure we educate our communities in ways that build advocates for music education and not merely people that empathize with music educators.

There are plenty of people who support the arts by giving their money, subscribing to concert series, and giving lip service to the importance of music education. If music education is to thrive in our communities and our state, we need to educate and create advocates that will get their hands dirty and work to ensure every child has access to music education. Advocacy doesn’t have to be grandiose, but it does need to be impactful and meaningful. In my humble opinion, the most effective advocacy is authentic, focused on students, and contextual.

In my best Cher voice – “If I could turn back time…” I think my response to “What is the band doing now that football season is over” would be different. I would have highlighted the accomplishments of my students, but I would have also invited the questioner to visit my classroom. I would have invited them to talk to my students preparing for honor band, solo and ensemble, or All-State. I would have highlighted everything from performances to daily learning in my classroom on social media and used the hashtag #ala4musiced. I would have taken a posture of education instead of defensiveness. Please take every opportunity to highlight your professional accomplishments and your students’ accomplishments.

We could apply the same question to AMEA – “What is AMEA doing now that the conference is over?” Let me assure you, AMEA has been busy. Please allow me to highlight a small portion of the work AMEA has been engaged in this spring.

Hill Day 2023

I am happy to report that AMEA had a fantastic first Hill Day in Montgomery, on March 21, 2023! Thank you to cNAfME members from the University of Alabama and Troy University, AMEA members from all parts of the state, Dr. Rusty Logan, Dr. Phil Wilson, the AMEA advocacy team, and the AMEA governing board for making Hill Day a huge success. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Mr. Lloyd Warman at the Alabama Capitol for helping us secure rooms and permits for using the various areas of the Capitol. Hill Day was the culmination of months of planning and I am delighted with how AMEA advocated in Montgomery.

The highlight of the day was the performing ensembles performing on the Capitol steps, in the Capitol Auditorium, and the Old House Chamber. 

Thank you – Auburn Junior High School Jazz Band – Josh Wine, Director Auburn Junior High Show Choir – Taylor Holt, Director Hillcrest Elementary Choir – Sarah McLendon, Director Rucker Rhythms – Andrea Marsh, Director

Smith Station High School Saxophone Ensemble – Gene Butler, Director The Huxford Symphony of the University of Alabama – Joseph Lee, Director

I personally want to thank the performing ensembles and their directors for traveling, the hours of preparation, and allowing our elected officials to see and hear why we were advocating.

In addition to musical performances, many AMEA members met with their elected officials. Dr. Phil Wilson, Dr. Becky Halliday, and I delivered informational folders to 35 Senators and 105 Representatives. In each folder were a music education fact sheet and postcards from AMEA members. Even if you couldn’t be physically in Montgomery your words were there. Your stories of how and why music education is important were hand-delivered to your elected officials.

In my legislative meetings, I heard a common theme – investment. Every Legislator I spoke with discussed the importance of showing how music education is an investment in Alabama’s future. Friends, there’s our next advocacy task. We need to show why music education is a good investment for Alabama and our children. I hope you will make plans to advocate with me and to be at our next Hill Day in March 2024.

Casting a Wider Net

For many years, our profession has examined ways to increase access to music education for all students. According to enrollment numbers from the State Department of Education, one-third of schools in Alabama do not offer music education. More troubling is that only 34% of students in Alabama’s schools choose to take music education classes. We, as an Association, need to work to provide access to music education for every student in Alabama. Equally as important, our Association must advocate that we increase the types of music offerings for students.

Currently, 117 secondary schools in Alabama offer guitar, ukulele, keyboard, music production, music theory, popular music, and music technology courses. We need to take a long hard look at ourselves and ask if we are providing space and resources for music teachers and their students that don’t currently fit into one of our existing divisions. I also believe that we need to examine what our existing divisions are doing to ensure we are meeting the needs of all music educators from all areas of the state. Growing up I was involved in the band, and choir, and I played in my local community orchestra. I value the experiences each of those performing ensembles opportunities provided me. I also realize that many students want to participate in music, but not in band, choir, or orchestra. I believe, there is room for all types of music education and all students in our Association.

During our August 2022 board meeting the AMEA board challenged me to find ways to engage with music educators beyond our current membership. You may have noticed that we expanded our call for sessions to include new areas – Guitar, Composition, Music Technology, Advocacy, Research, and Music Industry Education. We are also working to engage with different groups of music educators from beginning and young teachers, emerging leaders with 5-10 years of experience, and music teachers that teach music industry, guitar, technology, and other music courses beyond our traditional performing ensembles.

You may have noticed that we are also offering several different session formats. We will still have our 50-minute sessions and 10-minute lighting round sessions, but we have also added 25-minute sessions. I encourage you to apply to present at AMEA. Please encourage your colleagues to submit a session. There are experts in every school in Alabama that music educators need to hear present their techniques and ideas. Please share your expertise by applying to present at our conference.

I hope no one will mistake our efforts to offer more music courses, resources, and to connect with various groups of music teachers as threatening to our long-standing traditions found in our bands, choirs, and orchestras. I believe there is room to honor our traditions and simultaneously open our music education spaces to new possibilities. Sixty-six percent of Alabama’s students either don’t have access to or choose not to enroll in music courses. I hope and dream of a day when every school will have multiple music educators on staff and offer a variety of music courses that meet the needs of students. I hope that AMEA will be the driving force that changes music education in Alabama.

Summer 2023

As we approach the end of school and the impending summer vacation season, I do have a request. Please take time to rest and relax. Find opportunities to feed your passion for teaching young people music, but please also find ways to rest and relax. I know the summer starts a new busy year for many of you. Band and music camps, choosing and revamping curriculum, selecting repertoire, atending professional development, and many things to prepare for a new school year. I implore you to take time for yourself and your family.

As always – thank you for all you do for students. Thank you for the many hours you give to students’ musical and personal development inside and outside of your classroom.

I look forward to continuing to serve you and your students over the next year. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can help you.

What’s Your Story?

Feb 12 2023

I’ve been trying to find adequate words to express my thoughts and feelings since returning from Birmingham. I sit in front of my computer trying to come up with words and my mind wanders back to all of us being together. I try to think how I can sum up three incredible days of learning, laughter, comradery, and music. What could I possibly say that would encapsulate all that our annual AMEA Professional Development Conference provided to us?

In my humble opinion, the sincerest thing I can offer to you is my gratitude. I’m grateful for your energy. I’m grateful for intellectually stimulating sessions and conversations. I’m grateful for soul-stirring student performances. I’m grateful for our exhibitors. I’m grateful for Dr. Deb Confredo listening to us and encouraging us to work for music education for all. I’m grateful to the Dill Pickers for providing music, an opportunity to tap our toes, and put a smile on our faces. I’m grateful to our AMEA staff – Dr. Rusty Logan, Garry Taylor, Pat Stegall, and Dr. Carl Hancock for making sure everything ran so smoothly. I’m grateful to the AMEA governing board for their dedication and service to all of you. Most of all, I’m grateful to you for investing in your personal professional development to be the absolute best teacher for your students. Thank you for your commitment to the children of Alabama. Our time together in Birmingham was simply wonderful.
As I mentioned at the conference, we broke our previous attendance records. In all, we had 1,091 people register for the conference. ABA had 529 attendees, AOA had 22 attendees, AVA had 149 attendees, Elementary/General had 170 attendees, cNAfME had 126 attendees, Higher Education had 49 attendees, and 46 attendees didn’t indicate a division affiliation. While we revel in our record- breaking attendance, we know there are areas we can improve. Based upon the Governing Board’s Saturday meeting and the conference evaluations many of you completed, we have identified several areas we would like to further evaluate and improve for the Huntsville conference.

I would like to offer two suggestions to improve our future conferences. We are fortunate that each division can devote resources to bringing in well-known clinicians as headliners. Out-of-state clinicians are fabulous and give the conference a little pizazz, but nothing beats our homegrown Alabama music educators. There are many talented folks from Alabama that should be presenting at our conference. Some of you do incredible things that should be highlighted. Please apply to present at AMEA and share your expertise. Also, don’t hesitate to apply for your instrumental or vocal ensemble to perform.

We have a wonderful music industry community, fabulous colleges and universities, and many other organizations that support travel, fundraising, and other needs of our members. We are thankful for their continued support of our exhibits. However, we are aware that many of you would like to see exhibitors that represent the various needs of our membership. As an elementary music teacher, I would love to see more general music exhibitors. However, having diversity in our exhibits will take all of us working to get exhibitors to Alabama. We need to invite exhibitors to the conference, but more importantly, we need to spend money with the exhibitors. If there is a company you would like to see exhibit at AMEA – personally contact them and ask them to purchase a booth. The AMEA Governing Board will be working to attract new exhibitors, but we need your help.

Advocacy
I will take every opportunity to extol the value of music education in our schools and students’ lives. One reason why advocacy is important to me is because my teachers advocated for me to have access to music education. Advocating for this generation and future generations to have access to music education is a personal mission. Advocacy is one way I can honor the work of my music teachers and ensure the health of music education for future generations. Advocating for music education is my passion.

I encourage you to find simple ways to advocate for your students and programs. Invite people into your classrooms. Elevate your students’ voices to highlight the importance of music education. Write a postcard to your State Senator and Representative asking them to support music education. Encourage your students to write letters, send emails, or write their own postcards. I would be happy to send you a stack of AMEA postcards if you request them. Use #ala4musiced on your social media to highlight student performances and successes. The best advocacy work usually isn’t grand gestures, but small authentic, and intentional moments that are student-focused.

“What’s your Music Education story?”
I’m sure many of you have seen our first “What’s your Music Education story” video featuring James Spann. I have been pleasantly surprised with the reception James’ video has received. We are working to get other celebrities to record videos in the coming months. Look for more videos soon.

AMEA is hopefully affording people the opportunity to tell their stories and will provide powerful advocacy testimonies. We don’t want to limit the videos to only celebrities; some of the most powerful music education stories will more than likely come from regular people who credit music education to enriching their life. Thousands of people were involved in school music, and we need to elevate their voices to advocate. We need your help identifying and encouraging people to tell their music education stories. Please use your influence to help tell Alabama and the world why music education should be part of every child’s education.

Hill Day
Twenty-three years ago, I made my first trip to Washington, DC as a member of AMEA’s delegation to advocate for music education. AMEA has done great work and made many inroads with our elected officials in DC; however, we have done little to advocate in Montgomery. If we are going to make a substantial change for music education in Alabama, we must advocate in our state capital. I hope you will make plans to attend AMEA’s first Hill Day on March 21, 2023, in Montgomery. We will post more details on our social media and e-newsletters throughout February and March.

The question has been asked – “what are we advocating for?” We are working to build relationships with our elected officials. We are advocating for inclusion in the school curriculum, a place at the table in education policy decisions, and for every child to have access to music education. As I mentioned at our conference, it’s time for us to stand up, speak out, and work to change the way teaching units are allocated to ensure every school has a music teacher. We must use our collective voices as Alabama’s largest Arts Education organization to enact change for our students and communities. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I hope you are too.
I leave you the way I started this article – with gratitude. I am grateful for all of you, and I am grateful to be a music educator. As I told you during the General Session at the conference, as long as I have breath in my body, I will fight for our children to have access to music education. Music is important. Children are important. It’s important that children have music in their lives.

Thank you for trusting me to lead our Association. I am deeply honored to serve as the President of the Alabama Music Educators Association.

President’s Column

Oct 9 2022

October is my favorite month. Students and teachers are settling into school year routines. Kindergarteners are crying a little less. Bladders are regulated back to school time. Marching band season is in full swing – some are eagerly anticipating the next competition, and some are counting down how many Friday nights are left in the season. Choirs are beginning to learn repertoire for Winter Concerts. Students are beginning the arduous task of preparing for All-State. College football has all of us choosing sides. In almost every elementary music classroom there is one mindboggling week when you are singing Halloween or fall songs, preparing for a Veterans Day program, and beginning to learn music for Winter performances.  Yes, there is so much to love about October.

I’ve often daydreamed about what it would be like to be a regular person in October. What must it feel like to leisurely enjoy an October day?  What is it like to attend an event and not have to provide the music for the event? What is it like to clearly focus on enjoying an event instead of thinking of all the things we must do! Oh, what it must be like to enjoy a pumpkin spice latte gazing at fall colors instead of in my car on the way to the next event. October is a beautifully busy month.

I would be willing to bet, whether we admit to it or not, many of us enjoy the busyness of our lives. We secretly enjoy the rush of adrenaline we get from being busy. We enjoy knowing which concession stand has the best boiled peanuts in our football schedule. We enjoy being asked for our students to perform. We enjoy being a music educator even on the hardest days. We enjoy being busy because we are busy making music with our students. We are so fortunate that in our busyness we help others make something worthwhile and beautiful. Our busy lives facilitate music-making.

Thank you for being busy. Thank you for seeing the beauty in every student. Thank you for being a music educator. I will never feel like I can say thank you enough to any of you. You have done everything in your power to make sure music stayed in your students’ lives during the pandemic. You are a teacher, advocate, cheerleader, social worker, parent, friend, and the descriptors go on and on. You spend countless hours pouring into the future of Alabama. You are one of the many things that makes October beautiful.

I want to feature a few of the ways AMEA has been busy since the last issue of the Ala Breve.

NAfME Virtual Hill Week 2022

The week of September 19 – 23, AMEA members participated in NAfME’s virtual Hill Week. Traditionally, AMEA’s leadership has traveled to Washington, D.C. in June each summer to meet with Alabama’s Members of Congress. However, because of the pandemic, since 2020 we have had to opt for meeting with Congressional and Senate offices via Zoom. This year we had two productive meetings with staff from Rep. Mike Rogers and Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s offices.

We highlighted real-life examples of how Title funds have been used in Alabama to provide music education to our students. Title I money is being used to reduce class sizes and pay music teaching salaries.  We emphasized how Title II provides money for quality professional development for all our teachers to help our students and aide with teacher burnout and attrition. In addition, we discussed the arts deserts in Alabama and how Title IV money could be used to place music programs in schools that have traditionally had limited or no access to music education. As we continue to rebuild our programs after the pandemic, it is imperative that we ask for ESSA to be fully funded. We presented a clear and concise message that fully funding Title programs will open the door for music education to be in the lives of every Alabama student.

Thank you to Dr. Sarah Burns of Jacksonville State University, Dr. Becky Halliday of the University of Montevallo, and Dr. Megan Merciers of the University of North Alabama for joining me to advocate for music education.

AMEA Fall 2022 Town Hall

When the pandemic began in March of 2020, AMEA’s leadership sprung to action by hosting weekly Town Halls. I have heard from many people how much they valued the time we came together and talked about the possibilities and future we were facing. Personally, I valued the connection we were able to foster in uncertain times. As our world has returned to pre-pandemic busyness, it’s not feasible to have weekly Town Hall meetings. However, I feel we could have Town Hall meetings each semester.

I’m pleased to announce that AMEA will host a Town Hall meeting Monday, November 14 at 6:30 pm via Zoom. As we move closer to the event, we will send instructions on how to join via email and social media. I hope continuing the Town Hall meetings will allow us to feel more connected and informed of what is going on in our state.

Presidential Fireside Chat

Over the next few months, I will host fireside chats with different groups within AMEA. The focus of these fireside chats is to listen to your experiences to see how AMEA can best serve our members. The first two fireside chats will focus on our early career music educators. I have thought back on my own early teaching experiences throughout the pandemic. I have wondered how my career would be different if I dealt with social distancing, COVID, and mitigation techniques in my early years of teaching.

The first Presidential Fireside chat will be Monday, November 7 at 6:30 pm via Zoom. The focus of this Fireside Chat will be on AMEA members with 5-10 years of teaching experience.

The second Presidential Fireside Chat will be Monday, December 12 at 6:30 pm via Zoom. The focus of this Fireside Chat will be on AMEA members in their first year of teaching to 4 years of teaching experience. AMEA will send information on how to sign up for each Fireside Chat closer to each of the dates. Watch your email and social media for more information.

Conference 2023

Finally, we have been planning for our annual Professional Development Conference! I look forward to being with all of you in January. The Professional Development Conference is good for my soul, recharges my batteries, and allows me to be with like-minded people.  I’m excited that we will have NAfME President-elect Dr. Deb Confredo as our keynote speaker for several sessions and we will have a musical performance by The Dill Pickers from Birmingham. There will be fantastic concerts, inspiring sessions, exhibits, and a chance to catch up with old friends. Make plans to be in Birmingham January 19 – 21, 2022.

I hope you have a wonderful fall full of music-making! Remember to take a little time to enjoy the beauty, savor each day full of color and cool air, and reflect on how incredibly fortunate we are to make music every day with students. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can help you in any way.

Hello AMEA!

Jul 20 2022

I hope you all had a fantastic summer full of rest, relaxation, and adventure. I will admit this is the first summer that has felt normal in a while. My family went on a wonderful vacation, I slept in, ate good food, and I traveled for research, presentations, and business. I enjoyed every possible moment of summer. I feel energized and ready for a new school year, and I hope you do too.

There is one thing I have enjoyed watching on social media this summer – your many and varied adventures. It brought me great joy to see your trips to Music for All, the Conn Selmer Academy, Kodály, Orff, World Music Drumming, and Feierabend Levels, ACDA summer convention, ABA summer convention, the Ohio State String Teachers Workshop, cNAfME’s Collegiate Advocacy Summit, the Little Kids Rock Summit, and many other trainings. You all spent hours and hours learning new things to provide a better music education for your students. Some of you were brave enough to take students to summer music camps!

I, too, participated in a few teacher trainings. For several years, I have wanted to participate in the Smithsonian Folkways World Music Pedagogy course. One of the benefits of the pandemic is that we figured out how to offer professional development through Zoom. I’m thankful I was able to interact and learn from culture bearers from many different traditions. I know my students will enjoy and benefit from the music I learned from China, Central and South America, and Indigenous People.

Even though Zoom is a fantastic resource, it’s not the same as being in the room with other people. There is something invigorating about the communal aspect of learning and making music. This summer I dusted off my tuning fork and took Kodály Level III. It was great to be with other music teachers, especially, my fellow Level III students. Thank you, Virginia, Matt, Katie, and Carrie, for a fantastic two weeks of learning together. I hope my sight singing wasn’t too unbearable to your ears!

In addition to taking teacher trainings, I traveled to Washington, DC to attend NAfME’s National Assembly. NAfME’s constitution and by-laws specify that each summer the Presidents of NAfME, each Division, each state MEA and the Society and Council Chairs, convene to discuss the business of the NAfME. Throughout the three days of meetings, we discussed budgets, connecting with Collegiate and Tri-M members, advocacy, the future of professional development, NAfME’s strategic plan, and heard fantastic student performances. Once again, I can’t stress how wonderful it was to be together and not in Zoom boxes! AMEA was well represented in person by me and Southern Division President-Elect Susan Smith, and on Zoom by Dr. Phil Wilson, David Raney, Garry Taylor, and Dr. Rusty Logan. There will be more information to share about the work from National Assembly in the weeks ahead.

Even with a summer full of adventures, the business of AMEA has been ongoing. Your AMEA board met on June 8th in Birmingham to discuss the 2023 Professional Development Conference, the vision of the Association for the next two years, conduct staff evaluations, hire a new Executive Director and Assistant Executive Director, and hear the fantastic work of each division. I would like to thank Garry Taylor for his fantastic work as AMEA’s Executive Director for the past 17 years. Our Association is in a strong place because of the vision and leadership of Garry. He will continue as the editor of the Ala Breve and as the Assistant Executive Director as negotiate leadership transition. Thank you, Garry, for your years of service and your friendship!

I would also like to congratulate Dr. Rusty Logan as AMEA’s new Executive Director. Rusty has served AMEA in many roles. He is a past President of the Alabama Bandmasters Association and for the past seven years has served as AMEA’s Assistant Executive Director. Congratulations, Rusty on your new role!

We look forward to working with you to continue making AMEA the guiding light of arts education in our state.

As I mentioned, your AMEA board also discussed the future and vision of our Association.
According to AMEA’s Constitution, “The object of this Association shall be:

1. To effect mutual assistance and the promotion and advancement of music education through educational institutions and other organizations;

2. To encourage music activities among the schools of the state by means of festivals, clinics, workshops and other related events;

3. To secure greater recognition for music as an integral part of the school curriculum;

4. To encourage the development of post school music opportunities in each community.

As we move forward, I want us to think of unique ways we can live up to our objectives. What are we doing to ensure AMEA is fulfilling its stated objectives? How can we better work together to provide music education opportunities in our schools and post K-12 in our state? How can we work to elevate music education and ensure music education is a valued and integral part of the school curriculum? I look forward to working with each of you and your divisions to challenge AMEA to fulfill its objectives. We are stronger together.

To begin our work, I have appointed four task force committees to look at ways we can live into our objectives and vision. I, like many of you, am concerned with the teacher shortage. I want us to focus not on the first three or five years of a music teacher’s career but provide resources and opportunities for music teachers from collegiate membership into the first 10 years of teaching. I have asked Dr. Phil Wilson and Dr. Diane Orlofsky to form an Early and Mid-Career Teacher Development Task Force to look at ways we can mentor and identify emerging leaders in our profession.

As many of you know, advocacy is one of my passions. I want AMEA to be more advocacy minded as we move forward. We are the largest arts education association in the state of Alabama. We have a responsibility to lead the way and ensure Alabama’s children have access to a full and comprehensive music and arts education. If we continue to wait on other people and organizations to advocate for us, we will always be in the backseat. I am heading an advocacy task force that is looking at ways to continue our national advocacy efforts, but also venture into more state and local advocacy. There are changes to our website for advocacy resources to have a landing page. In the months ahead, we will be updating and providing advocacy resources for our members.

Through the years, one thing I have constantly heard from many of you is that we need to learn how to work with education administrators. I have asked Greg Gumina to chair an Education Administrator Relations task force to examine ways we can work with our administrators. AMEA needs to build relationships and provide resources to help administrators understand the ins and outs of music education. I look forward to hearing from Greg’s task force about tangible ways we can build better relationships with our administrators to benefit our students.

Occasionally, every organization needs to look at its policies and bylaws to ensure we are running efficiently and effectively. In addition, we need to ensure that all our members can fully participate in our organization. We also need to examine if we are unintentionally excluding or neglecting members or potential members. I have asked Immediate Past President, David Raney, to chair a Bylaws and Committee Chair Revision task force to look at our current documents. I look forward to their recommendations.

I look forward to ways we can work together to make AMEA the best organization for our members and ways to advocate for our students. I proudly joined this Association 25 years ago as a member of cMENC at Troy State University. AMEA has served me well throughout my career. Twenty-five years later, I am proud to give back to AMEA as your President. I’m ready to work and I invite you to join me on this journey! If you have suggestions or if I can help you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Summer has been a fantastic time of learning, dreaming, and resting, but it’s time to face the reality that a new school year is upon us. The sounds of tonal bass drums in the distance announce the realities of a school year are beginning to set in. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. I wish you the best start to your school year. Here’s to a year full of successes and learning challenges!

Rob Lyda

Thank You, AMEA!

May 9 2022

I would like to thank everyone for the support you have given me over the past two years. The people in our association that I had the privilege to work with and represent are quite simply the most admirable people I have ever met.

As the final weeks of school draws to an end, I cannot help but reflect on how important music education is and will continue to be for the future of education in Alabama. I encourage you to continue to help others understand the importance of our profession and the positive impact it makes on the lives of students. Here are a few suggestions that I leave with you to consider to help in this endeavor.

Set High Expectations!
Never before has there been a better time to make the music classroom the epitome of high expectations. Sometimes it seems society is setting the bar lower and lower each year, but we can be the exception. If you expect very little from your students (and yourself), that is exactly what you will get. Resist the notion that if no one expects anything from your program, then it is ok to deliver on that expectation.

Make no mistake, your students and their parents may not appreciate the rigor you provide them now but I can certainly say they will in the future. Shouldn’t we teach with the future in mind? Be the person that raises the bar and inspires others to do the same!

Make It Special!
Take every opportunity to create a special moment in someone’s life no matter how big or small the task.

The late Dr. Edd Jones, from the University of North Alabama, had a large impact on teaching me to have pride in all things. One day, while working in the music office together, he told me he had a doctorate in taping music. I then observed him meticulously space two pieces of handwritten music 1 mm apart while accurately connecting them with three pieces of tape creating one perfectly aligned foldable piece of music. The amount of time and effort he put into that task was a profoundly unique experience that I will never forget. Nearly 30 years later, I find myself smiling when I tape music together knowing Dr. Jones would be proud if he saw my work. I now realize that even the simplest of tasks can be made special, so long as you treat them as such.

Guess what? Your students are special too. The time and effort you consistently put into others will not go unnoticed. It will leave a lasting impact more powerful than you can ever imagine.

Take Care of Yourself!
A healthy and happy educator will attract positive attention from their community. You are extremely important to the people around you; therefore, you must take care of yourself.

Refresh your musical health by taking advantage to have great musical experiences. Attend a concert that you are not “in charge” of so you can experience the performance stress-free. Be involved with a local choir, band, or orchestra and enjoy the fulfillment of performing yourself.

Establish a new hobby this summer that you may escape to when given a chance throughout the year. This has truly helped me relieve stress over the years.

Rest! It is said that those that work using their mind rest by using their hands and those that work using their hands rest by using their mind. Find a physical activity that can give your mind a rest from time to time.

Get Involved

Read More

We’re Back!

Nov 1 2021

I hope you are off to a great start for the school year and your students are engaging in productive musical experiences. It has been so nice to see many musical programs enjoying live performances. This simply reminds me of how important the gift of music education is to the lives of our young people.

In August, the Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA) Governing Board met to continue planning for the 2022 conference. The board has put a great deal of time and effort into making our next conference the very best possible. There is no question that everyone is eager to get back to in-person clinics and performances. We are looking forward to the opportunity to grow professionally together in January.

This year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Matthew Arau, is the Music Education Department Chair and Associate Director of Bands at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music. In addition, Dr. Arau is the Founder of Upbeat Global, which is an organization created to inspire positivity through leadership and music around the world. I recently attended one of his sessions and immediately knew he was the person that is needed to address the music educators of Alabama. Please be sure to attend his keynote address to AMEA at the presentation on Friday morning at 10:15am. Prepare yourself to be inspired by his uplifting message.

I am extremely excited about our keynote performing group, Act of Congress. They were scheduled to perform for our 2021 Conference and have agreed to perform for 2022 since we were unable to have performances in person last January. If you have not yet heard of this native Alabama group, you are in for a special treat. The first time I heard them perform I was impressed with their musicality and creative way to arrange their unique style of music. Since that time, I have purchased several of their albums and have become quite a fan. You can visit their website at http://actofcongressmusic.com and find an extensive music collection through iTunes. Their Christmas music is exceptionally good!

The board has been eagerly planning the AMEA 75th Anniversary for quite some time. It was decided last January to delay the formal celebration until it could be celebrated in person. Pat Stegall formed a Celebration Committee and has done an exceptional job making plans for this momentous occasion. Please join us during the reception scheduled on Friday night of our 2022 conference as we commemorate and celebrate this anniversary.

I am proud of the work our Division Leaders have done over the summer that has resulted in great ideas for in-person and new events. I have seen the leaders of the Band, Vocal, Orchestra, General/Elementary, Higher Education, and Collegiate Divisions collaborate in order to solve many of the new issues we are facing in education. This work will result in additional innovated opportunities for music educators that will positively impact you and your students.

Alabama has a rich history of extremely gifted leaders that had a tremendously important influence on my career. These leaders inspired me to be a better educator by teaching me the importance of maintaining a professional attitude, even during the hard times. You probably have leaders that you admire as well. Those leaders all started by saying “yes” to a leadership position. There are many local, district, regional, and state leadership opportunities that support music education. Please consider finding a place you can serve in a leadership role to promote music education. I encourage you to get involved with your division, become a future leader, and be willing to serve.

This is an election year for AMEA. In January, we will share the bios of the nominees for the new president-elect. I hope you will take the time to read about the new candidates to decide who you think should be the future leader of our association. You will receive a ballot in the spring for the election, so please take the time to reflect on your decision and cast your vote.

As we continue to move forward, let’s remind ourselves to stay focused on spreading our joy for music education to every student in our classroom. I know it may not always seem like you are appreciated but you are. Your enthusiasm to do your very best will impact those around you, including your colleagues. As music educators, we sometimes feel very isolated due to our unique subject. I encourage you to take the time to check on other music educators in your school system and district. You just might be the encouraging voice they need to hear today.

In closing, I wish you all the best. I look forward to seeing you in person in January at the 2022 AMEA Professional Development Conference. It is my pleasure to say, “We’re Back.”

Best regards,

David Raney

On Your Mark, Get Set…

Aug 29 2021

When I was a young boy, I loved racing. I was either racing on my bicycle, go-cart, three-wheeler or racing on foot. The most common way for us to begin the race, “back in the day,” was with the traditional, “On your mark, get set, GO!” Of course the ever popular long pause just before “Go,” would really raise the excitement and anticipation for the race. This summer has been very reminiscent to the long pause before the race begins. I could not wait to see the faces of my students and their smiles. The sounds of their instruments without bell covers or their voices unobstructed were sounds I looked forward to.

At the time I am writing this article, I have currently finished three days of band camp and I can say, without a doubt, the anticipation did not disappoint. This week has reminded me how powerfully rewarding normal interaction with my students can be in this profession. My desire is to never take for granted these moments and always recognize how important they are for the development of our students.

I hope you find yourself recharged, from a well deserved break, and as excited to get back to work as I am. I have heard some people refer to this past year as a “hard reset” for schools and in many ways I must agree. A hard reset will clear your memory and close any unwanted applications running in the background that keep slowing down your computer. It is time for a new beginning.

SUMMER PRODUCTIVITY

The AMEA Governing Board met in person for the first time in over a year this past June. Seeing everyone in person after so long was incredibly enjoyable. For me it was the first step for us to begin the process of starting that new beginning.

During the summer, I organized a committee of leaders from the band, orchestra and vocal divisions to discuss updating the document, found on the state department’s website, for guidance for continuing music education. Our goal was to advocate for every child in Alabama to have unencumbered access to a full music education experience this year. I believe the new wording that was produced is consistent with this objective. Our hope is that your school system will see how valuable a well-rounded education, including music education, is for our students now more than ever. I would like to thank Joel Henson, Randall Fields, Daniel Stevens and Rob Lyda for the work they provided in this undertaking.

We all know how important music education is for our students’ social and emotional well-being under normal circumstances. I am convinced that since the pandemic has forced such a socially deprived atmosphere for our students that music education can be the driving force to bring everyone back to a thriving emotional state.

During this past June, the AMEA leadership was able to attend the NAfME National Assembly virtually. I was proud to report to the other states the great successes Alabama had throughout the year with in- person All-State events and virtual performance assessments, as well as our successful virtual

conference. I am extremely proud of the educators in our state and the work done to keep music alive in Alabama.

I would like to congratulate AMEA’s past president, Susan Smith, for her appointment earlier this year as the Chair of the NAfME Collegiate Advisory Council. Susan has brought a fresh approach to this position that resulted in an outstanding Collegiate Summit this summer as part of the National Assembly.

MOVING FORWARD

As we move forward, we are thrilled to host our 2022 Professional Development Conference face to face next January in Birmingham. The Governing Board is hard at work planning a great conference, and we believe it will be exciting, rejuvenating, and beneficial for you to attend.

The special impact music has in the lives of all of us will be renewed with each event our students and community experience this upcoming year. I am optimistic this year will provide you with a chance, like no other time in our lives, to share the wonders of music with a group of people that may have forgotten how powerful the experience of music education can be.

What an incredible privilege we have to participate in this important adventure following the “hard reset.”

Now let’s get ready. On your mark, get set, GO!

David Raney

Congratulations, Alabama!

Jun 10 2021

Congratulations, Alabama!

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston S. Churchill.

As I reflect on this past year with the decisions that were made by our music educators and leaders, I think of these words from Winston Churchill. Educators all across the state worked incredibly hard to continue enriching their students with the best quality music education possible.

Over the course of this year, I have witnessed educators share creative ideas and solve complex problems to a level I couldn’t have imaged two years ago. Congratulations on a job well done. Now that we are crossing this year’s finish line, I hope you take pride in knowing you had the courage to complete the journey.

I am so proud of our division leaders that had the fortitude to make the hard -decisions necessary for you and your students. Although their burden was great, they found a way to provide our students and educators with virtual Professional Development, Music Performance Assessments, Solo & Ensembles, in-person Honor Bands/Choirs and All-States Festivals in a safe environment.

I know of no other state in the country that has done so much towards providing so many opportunities for our students and educators than we have in Alabama. We can all take pride in knowing we worked together, never gave up and didn’t settle by taking the easy path.

Each year during the summer, a staff of AMEA leaders travel to Washington, D.C. to advocate for music education in what is known as “Hill Day” meetings. Last year’s events were cancelled and this year NAfME decided to organize virtual meetings during the month of March. I designated Dr. Rob Lyda as our State’s Captain to coordinate these meetings and I’m happy to report they were a great success.

During these “Hill Day” meetings, we were able to meet with the staff of Senators Tommy Tuberville and Richard Shelby along with Representatives Jerry Carl, Barry Moore, Mike Rogers, and Gary Palmer. We shared details of the issues music educators had to overcome this past year along with making suggestions towards our funding needs. Our main objective was to establish a relationship with these offices for their support. I would like to thank Dr. Lyda for his leadership and well organized meetings that led us to what I feel was a mission accomplished.

Soon after our meetings, the office of Rep. Rogers contacted NAfME in an effort to discover further information concerning social and emotional learning as well as the funding of music education. This response was recognized by NAfME as a great success

As this year comes to a close, we should celebrate our successes and learn from our struggles. Now is the time to look towards the future and begin the process of rebuilding with a new sense of appreciation and drive.

You can start now by planning your professional development for next year. During the All-State Band Festival this past April, I had the opportunity to attend my first in-person clinic in over a year! This experience left me with a renewed sense of appreciation for professional development.

The AMEA Leadership and staff are looking forward to organizing our next in-person Professional Development Conference in January of 2022. We plan to implement new ideas discovered over the past year into our next conference and make it the best experience possible.

I hope your year finished stronger than it st-arted and you finally have an opportunity to rest and recharge. I am looking forward to next year for what I anticipate will be the most fulfilling year of our careers. I can not wait to see you all again soon.

David Raney

AMEA: Serving Lemonade With Infinite Hope

Feb 5 2021

I will always remember 2020 as the year that provided us a new twist to an old saying, when COVID gives you lemons, make lemonade. That is exactly what our executive staff did with this year’s AMEA Conference.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with the outstanding AMEA Executive Board in order to provide an online professional development experience. From the moment we decided to have our conference virtually, everyone jumped on board and started working together to make the event the best possible. I believe our mission was accomplished.

Executive Director and Assistant, Garry Taylor and Rusty Logan did an outstanding job preparing the schedule and providing the software that guided us through the week. Their expertise and organizational skills transferred perfectly to the online medium and gave us easy access to all the sessions.

Our Media Specialist, Dr. Carl B. Hancock, once again worked his magic with social media distribution and constructed an amazing staff that hosted all of our sessions. We owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to the University of Alabama for the role they played in providing the facilities and staffing that became the backbone of our conference.

Dr. Rob Lyda, our AMEA President-Elect, served as our virtual expert. He has participated in more online events than all of us combined, which was instrumental in making us aware of the “dos” and “don’ts” in the world of zoom and online presentations.

Past-President, Greg Gumina, came through for the FAME program and provided our future music educators a rich experience with outstanding clinicians that was certain to solidify their desire to enter this great profession.

The AMEA Registrar, Pat Stegall, collected and processed the registrations while assisting with the NAfME memberships.

The Divisions did a great job finding sessions and inspirational performances that would facilitate an online experience. These opportunities demonstrated what can be achieved even in challenging times.

We cannot say enough good things about our sponsors and vendors that participated in our conference. This year has taken a toll on all of us and we must thank those businesses that support music education in our state. Please take a moment and identify those that provided support for our conference and, if possible, patronize their businesses in the same manner they invested in our profession.

Our first keynote speaker provided the most viewed live event of the week. Dr. Judy Bowers provided a message that contained a passionate vision of how we can think out of the box to be an inspiration to others. Her presentation sparked a lot of conversation in the chat room and created a wonderful start for our conference.

I’m especially proud of our awards presentation on Friday night, which will continue to be available on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/yPFO7p6rM5Q

We plan to continue posting videos to recognize and honor our membership, so please consider subscribing to our channel. Go to YouTube and search for “my AMEA” and click “subscribe”.

After our awards presentation, we enjoyed our second keynote speaker, Bob Morrison, from Quadrant Research. He provided us with up-to-date mitigation practices and clearly articulated a powerful message for why music education has been recognized as such an important part of a person’s educational growth.

Most importantly, the greatest contributor to this event was you. The conference would have been nothing if not for the participants. I want to thank everyone that took part in and believed in the value of the 2021 Virtual Conference. The attendance exceeded our expectations and the level of energy everyone brought to the chat rooms and social hours was extremely comforting to us all. Although we all would have preferred to see each other in person, you continue to make the very best out of the situation.

Moving forward, we plan to continue recognizing AMEA’s 75th Anniversary throughout the entire year by exploring the rich history of AMEA through online media and we will celebrate the grand finale at our 2022 Conference, IN PERSON!!!!! Don’t miss it!

As we look forward to the remainder of this year and beyond, I would like to encourage you to continue your fight for music education in your school. You must continue to remind yourself how important your influence is in the lives of your students despite any setbacks you may have experienced.

One person that truly understood setbacks and struggles was Martin Luther King, Jr., which was quoted saying, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” I encourage you to continue looking at music education as a source of infinite hope and possibilities.

All the best,

– David Raney

 

AMEA: Coming Together and Moving Forward

Nov 10 2020

If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Over the past several months I have witnessed music educators from across our state overcome unparalleled obstacles to keep programs moving forward. Although the students’ experience may not have been as grandiose as usual, I’m confident to say the experiences provided to the students during these times are just as meaningful.

A highlight of my year came this fall as I once again interacted with my students in person after such long anticipation. Soon after our first meeting, I found myself overwhelmed with joy as I heard the first note performed in person. Seeing the students’ face light up with excitement after making music together again was a sight I will never forget.
Now that we are in the midst of the rigor of in-person instruction, which now includes face masks, bell covers and the constant sanitization of everything, we find there is still much to learn and share. Additionally, we must continue to stay motivated while growing professionally just as we have in the past. For me, attending music conferences is a proven source of inspiration and the 2021 AMEA conference will be no exception.

AMEA Virtual Conference 2021
As we celebrate AMEA’s 75th anniversary, we look back and see that Alabama has enjoyed some of the most successful professional development conferences in the country with exceptional performances, clinicians and fellowship with professionals across our state. Despite the current circumstances, our goal is to continue this tradition with a unique and meaningful experience this January.
Our executive team, which includes Garry Taylor, Rusty Logan and Carl Hancock, has assembled the technical foundation for the conference that will give attendees an exceptional online experience using Map Dynamics and Zoom. Map Dynamics will provide an interface with simple access to all sessions and performances. Since most of us are already Zoom experts, we will use this method to broadcast the sessions and interact with the clinicians.

All divisions have accepted outstanding sessions for this three-day event and pre-conference bonus sessions will be available in November. We will enjoy outstanding performances from programs across our state that will surely inspire us all.

An important part of our yearly conference is the time we spend with our colleagues as we share ideas and enjoy each other’s company. We will provide a time for networking lounges in each division that will provide roundtable discussions. In addition, we will have a social hour to give you an opportunity to catch up with colleagues.

Vendors are an important part of our conference and need our support as they have supported us over the years. We will provide everyone an opportunity to interact through virtual exhibits. These exhibit times will give opportunity to ask questions and see their latest offerings.

A virtual conference will give us the ability to offer multiple keynote speakers. Dr. Judy Bowers, the Emy- Lou Biedenharn Endowed Chair of Music Education at the University of Louisiana, Monroe, will present her keynote session on Thursday night. In 2014, Dr. Bowers was named the Lowell Mason National

Music Education Fellow and inducted into the society by the National Association for Music Education in Washington, DC. Her distinguished choral music career and unique experiences will bring insightful information to us as we look for new ways to engage students.

Friday night, Bob Morrison will present his keynote session that will explore how music education moves beyond 2020 and offer insights on how to plan for the future. Mr. Morrison is the founder of Music for All, was the founding CEO of the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, and his advocacy work has earned him both an EMMY and a Peabody Award. He is the founder and CEO of Quadrant Research, the nation’s leading arts education research organization, and his accomplishments and accolades go far beyond the space this article provides. His insightful message will give meaningful information you will not want to miss.

I am extremely proud of the time our Governing Board has put into this year’s conference. The event is full of quality sessions, performances, and nationally recognized presenters. With a reduced price and a convenient schedule, this conference provides a quality experience we should all enjoy and I hope you will take full advantage of this unique opportunity.

Southern Division Meeting
On September 13, I attended the Southern Division Meeting virtually along with Rob Lyda, Greg Gumina, Garry Taylor, and Rusty Logan. During this meeting, we heard from the new NAfME President, Mackie Spradley, the Interim Executive Director, Chris Woodside, and Chief Financial Officer, Chaudlier Moore. Each is new to their position and took time to answer questions and address asks from the states.

NAfME is our national voice and the new leadership is making changes to bring you the most value for your membership. They have implemented large financial changes that will keep the association strong while providing an abundance of advocacy and research campaigns. If you have not looked at their website lately please take a moment and peruse through the enormous amount of resource material they are providing at http://nafme.org

Moving Forward
Finally, I would like to challenge you to keep moving forward with your music programs. If you are feeling overwhelmed, start with taking one idea, one source of information, or one new idea from the conference and use it to keep moving in a positive direction. You will find a crawl will turn into a walk, then a walk into a run, and finally, we will all fly again.

I’m looking forward to coming together this January and moving forward to a brighter future. Let’s fly together.

– David Raney

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