Alabama Music Educators Association

Greetings fellow future music educators! I hope that everything is going well for all of you in a semester that has felt like a whirlwind for me so far. This is the conference preview issue of the Ala Breve, but I have something very exciting to add to all the conference chatter.

The annual Alabama CMENC Summit is on the books for Saturday, October 29 from 9AM until 3 PM at the University of Montevallo. Breakfast and lunch will be provided, and more details regarding featured speakers and registration procedures will be sent to chapter advisors very soon. I hope to see more future music educators than ever before at the Summit, and I am very excited about this great event.
With regard to the AMEA In-Service Conference in January, I can honestly say that this is the best slate of CMENC sessions I have seen in the few years I have been attending the conference. All areas of music education are very well represented, and there are certainly sessions that we could all benefit from attending, regardless of our concentration.

I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage all of you to get involved in your musical community outside of your degree program. Most of the cities and towns that house our great universities have civic musical groups such as community bands and community choirs. I want to encourage all of you to get out there in the community and be in these groups. I have the unique privilege of conducting a community group on a regular basis, and I can honestly tell you that it has been one of the most musically-enriching experiences of my life. You can meet great people that you may never come across otherwise, you get exposed to even more literature (and that is always a good thing), and you can use it as an amazing opportunity to develop another musical skill such as playing a secondary instrument or even rehearsing the group.

When times get tough, and you start doubting your choice to pursue a career in music education, go sit in a community group. It will be a great reminder to you that we are not just teaching a skill that goes away after high school or college, but we are cultivating a passion that will stick with many for the rest of their lives. I hope to see all of you on October 29!