Pat Stegall
President, Alabama Music Educators' Association

Movin' On

What a great AMEA conference!  Thanks for attending and thanks to all of the members who made the conference such a grand success. Congratulations to the performing groups and presenters on a job well done.  Also thanks to The University of Alabama Music Department for the use of their facilities and their help with the conference not just for this year’s conference, but for all the previous years as well.  Our conference attendance was up this year in spite of the economy.  761 people were registered for the conference which is 50 more than last year!

As you are aware, the AMEA Conference will be in Montgomery next year. The Renaissance Hotel and Conference Center is wonderful.  Everything is under one roof and spacious so we should be able to make some needed adjustments in scheduling concerts and clinics.  We should all look forward to this change of venue.

The AMEA Governing Board is planning to meet in Montgomery on June 10 to begin planning the conference and to hold our first leadership training session.  One of my goals as AMEA President was to put into place a way to transition officers and a way to be more consistent in each division.  Hopefully, this session will be the start of something we have needed for a long time.

In late June, some of us will be attending the MENC Music Education Week in Washington D.C. where we will meet with senators and congressmen and discuss the importance of keeping music in the curriculum in the Elementary Secondary Education Act that is in the works to replace “No Child Left Behind”.  This critical bill will determine the direction for all of us for the foreseeable future.  You may want to write your congressman and senators and ask them to make sure that Music and the Arts remain a vital part of the curriculum.

Several members of the AMEA Governing Board are finishing their terms this summer and I wanted to offer my thanks to them and the rest of the board for their work as your leaders.  Those completing their terms: for AVA-Damion Womack; Higher ED-Mark Walker; CMENC Advisor-Carl Hancock; and CMENC-Lindsey Folsom.  Also, Recording Secretary-Carla Gallahan and Treasurer-Mary Jo Lakin, end their terms but they are both nominees for re-election.  It has been an honor and pleasure to serve with this great group of educators.

Good luck to you all as you prepare for spring concerts, competitions, programs and other musical events.  As always, I am here to serve you so feel free to contact me with your ideas, questions and input.