The AMEA Conference is now behind us and I want to thank all of you for a fantastic year. We’ve set record attendance at the annual Collegiate Summit as well as the AMEA conference. Additionally, we’ve added two new collegiate chapters and more are in the process of being engaged. It has been an honor to serve an organization that is so eager to grow.
With that being said, the board has compiled data on the demographics of our participating collegiate members. What we’ve found is a great enthusiasm among freshman, juniors, and seniors, but a lack of attendance among sophomores. It seems that sometime after the first year, music education majors become somewhat disenchanted and dismayed by the workload that comes with our profession.
As we move forward as Alabama’s pre-service music educators, I encourage you to help your colleagues through their first year of college. Between music theory, history, and the discovery that practice is no longer just a fun hobby, the path to becoming a music teacher can seem long and arduous. Be a helping hand to those who are struggling; offer the best advice you have but also follow with action. Chapter presidents, look for ways to keep newcomers engaged throughout the year, even after the conference and honor band season has passed. Music is a “we, not me” activity, and those of us who are nearing the end of our degree programs should be shining examples of that.
As a parting word, I would like to wish all of you the best as you become teaching professionals. It has been an honor to serve as your division president and I greatly look forward to seeing all of you in the future.
Sincerely,
Joshua Meyer
AMEA Collegiate Division President
(256) 566-1265
The results of the Collegiate-AMEA elections held during the Collegiate luncheon were as follows:
- Madison Baldwin, President – JSU madisontaylorbaldwin@gmail.com
- Jordan Hare, VP/President-Elect Montevallo – jhare1@forum.montevallo.edu
- Tyler Jones, Secretary – Montevallo tjones33@forum.montevallo.edu
- Brenton Nash, Treasurer – Alabama banash1@crimson.ua.edu
