Cultural Diversity and Social Justice for Music Teacher Education: Investigating and disseminating information on culturally responsive pedagogies; vi) School-University Partnerships: To survey best practices in school and university partnerships that promote a view of teacher education as a shared responsibility between P-12 and higher education; vii) Policy: To build capacity for policy development through coordinating the efforts of STME, NAfME, NASM and CMS; viii) Professional Development for the Beginning Teacher: To determine what universities are doing to support current graduates and their best practices; ix) Professional Development for the Experienced Teacher: To explore the professional development needs of experienced music teachers; x) Teacher Retention: To gather data and provide a forum for discussing issues relating to retention, attrition, and turnover (relocation) of music education; xi) Music Teacher Educators: Recruitment, Preparation, and Professional Development: To address the recruitment and preparation of the “next generation” of music teacher educators as well as to examine the needs of those who already serve in this role; xii) Pathways to Licensure: To gather data and provide a forum for discussing issues relating to the multiple pathways to licensure in music education. For a complete listing of the ASPA accomplishments to date, current and future projects please visit:
http://smte.us/aspas.
With a wide range of topics, varied participants, and lively discussions in all corners of the conference area, it is clear that the SMTE conference is an important place where educators can meet, share ideas, and establish workable goals that will impact the practice, research, and policies in music education. Newcomers and returning attendees were welcomed with enthusiasm and encouraged to bring their ideas to the table. Overall, the conference was an enormous success.
Sommer Forrester is a native of Toronto Canada. A horn player, she holds an Honours Bachelor of Music from the University of Western Ontario, Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto and a Masters in Music Education from the University of Michigan. Sommer has taught instrumental music overseas at the American School of Kuwait and the Walworth Barbor American School of Israel. In her most recent position, Sommer taught at Havergal College in Toronto for five years, where she directed the band program from the beginning band to the senior wind ensemble. Sommer is currently in her first year of doctoral studies in music education at the University of Michigan. In addition, Sommer is pursuing a cognate in wind conducting with Michael Haithcock. n
Highlights from the 2012 MMEA Collegiate
Conference Held on Saturday, March 24 at Albion College, the 2012 MMEA Collegiate Conference was a success. The one-day conference designed for current collegiate music education majors featured presentations, round table and student led discussions, and culminated with a choral and band reading session of middle school repertoire.
Music education majors in their second year through students completing their pre-service teaching experience came together to learn from the presenters and from each other in a positive and supportive environment, and they were not disappointed.
Summer Forester, doctoral candidate at the University of Michigan presented on her experiences teaching music overseas in the Middle East, as well as Canada. Ms. Forester shared many of the challenges and rewards of teaching music in another country, and illustrated that music can be an incredible way to bridge differences in language and culture. She also gave the conference participants concrete advice and resources on how they might begin the exciting and rewarding journey of teaching abroad.
Drs. Christina Hornbach from Hope College and Sam McIlhagga from Albion College, along with McIlhagga’s wife Kristin, facilitated a round table discussion on finding balance between teaching, performing, and family in the music educator’s life.
NAfME Collegiate student representatives for the state of Michigan, Maureen Conway (University of Michigan) and Sarah Nietupski (Adrian College) held a brainstorming session with the attendees on how to build and sustain a NAfME Collegiate chapter.
One of the big hits of the conference was T.J. Wolfgram from the University of Michigan, who presented a session on arranging popular music that featured his BlueLine Brass Band performing several of their arrangements live for the participants.
The conference concluded with a middle school music reading session coordinated and led by Albion College Director of Bands and NAfME Collegiate State Advisor Dr. McIlhagga and Mr. John Russell, Director of Choral Activities for Albion College. Students from the Albion College band and choir joined the conference participants to read several pieces for middle school choir and band chosen for their musical quality.
The students in attendance for the 2012 MMEA Collegiate Conference, from six different colleges and universities from across the state, were all pleased with the wide variety of sessions and came away from the day both energized and excited. It is our plan to hold the conference on an annual basis during the spring semester with future host schools to be determined at the May meeting of the MMEA Board Meeting. We hope the conference continues to provide future music educators with useful ideas and information designed to prepare them for a long and successful career as an educator! n
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