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From the President... Pat Stegall,AMEAPresident


WHO SETS THE STANDARDS IN YOURMUSIC PROGRAM?


I think it is time we asked that question. In the present timeswe are expected to do


many things in our classrooms. We must be highly qualified, teach character education, teach to local, state and national standards, test our kids on those standards, have successful performing ensembles, serve our community needs, raise funds necessary to have classroom teaching materials, administer the LIFE course, have students write papers and articles, teach theory and composition, teach music history, practice inclusion, and an inexhaustible list of other duties. When it comes right down to it, we are expected to perform miracles.


That having been said, who controls the standards in your music classroom? The bottom line is and will always be YOU, the teacher. Colleges and universities are turning out some of the finest young teachers ever in the history of our state, but we will lose many of them in the first three years of their career because of funding problems, inexperience, failed mentoring, unrealistic expectations, and a lack of quality “on the job” training. Music teachers are often left to fend for themselves and their students when hard times come around.


The AMEA can not sit back and watch this happen. We have not, and should not settle for being put on the back burner in hard economic times, nor shouldwe allow our students to go without the needed funding and staffing for a quality music education. Our association has for years offered opportunities for professional development and student success at our in-service conferences. We have clinics


ala breve


and concerts that rival our national conference.We have speakers from the finest programs in the country and clinicians from a variety of background areas to help us stay on top of the national trends. The standards are high, yet there is room for improvement.


There are hundreds of Alabama Music Educators that are not members of AMEA, or that do not attend our conference. Why? Is it the fact that registration is expensive, or that hotel rooms cost a lot of money or that the meals are pricey, or the clinics do not appeal to them, or they don’t see the value in hearing groups performquality music? Are they tired from the holidays, or are they too busy preparing for the next competition or trip, or perhaps they just don’t have time.


Hogwash! Find the money, find the time, and get motivated. On January 22-24, 2009 at the University of Alabama, we have the opportunity to come together at our Alabama Music Educators Association Conference. There is work to be done for the good of the children of Alabama. Find the teachers who are not participating and give them a little push. They will not receive this article because they have not joined MENC, thus they are not members


of


AMEA. It is your duty to get them to the conference in


9


January. Besides, Dr. Tim is going to be there. He is the most dynamic person there is in music education. He will have you laughing onemoment and crying the next. He has a passion that is contagious. There are ensembles preparing to perform just for you…not to an empty room, but to a packed house of eager, appreciative music teachers. Imagine telling your kids at your school that you are taking them to perform for the prestigious AMEA clinic, only to find that their parents and 20 music teachers were the only ones there to listen to their performance which took 200 hours to prepare. Embarrassing, isn’t it! Well it will be if you don’t come and bring someone new with you! Now get on the phone, email someone, ask a colleague to come be a part of the conference. Neither they nor you will regret it. Stop making excuses and start making a difference for yourself, your colleagues, your students and your music programs. Set the standards higher…it is your choice.


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