Hello fabulous MMEA members,
The school year is in full swing and at this point I’m sure you’ve at least finished one (if not two) round of report cards, perfor- mances, and/or parent/teacher conferences. As we near the halfway point in the school year, MMEA strives to provide events and professional development
activities Kelli Graham that
help our members continue to interact and provide exciting musical opportunities for our students.
Fall has been busy for MMEA. In Septem- ber, facilitated by board members Colleen Conway and Phil Hash, MMEA participated in a TweetChat with the Michigan Associa- tion of Secondary School Principals, pre- senting on the topic of teacher evaluation. Participants were invited to join in the con- versation about how administrators can best support music teachers in regards to evalu- ation systems. MMEA also hosted five ele- mentary choral festivals this year in Clinton Township, Allendale, Sault Sainte Marie, Jackson, and Clare.
MMEA also debuted a revamped website. We are excited to be able to feature a cleaner designed site, provide an easier to use site featuring a new member’s only section, and starting in Fall 2016 (if not sooner) we will be able to take online registration for events! This has been made possible, in large part, by a grant we received last year from the Michigan Council of Arts and Cultural Af- fairs. We are very excited to announce that we have been selected as a recipient of this grant again this year!
Now that we are near the mid-way point of the school year, I know that I am often look- ing for ways to recharge and keep myself energized in the classroom during the win- ter months. One of my favorite ways to do this is at the Michigan Music Conference. I look forward to interacting with other mu- sic teachers, hearing fabulous concerts, and attending the numerous sessions offered throughout the conference. This year the
MMEA headliner is Brian Hiller and our Pre-Conference Event will feature Brian and Mary Alice Amidon. Mr. Hiller has co- authored with Don Dupont nine publications for music educators and is a contributor to Activate! Magazine and presents music workshops throughout the United States and Canada. The Amidons workshop will focus on the power of building a community with- in the classroom through traditional dance, song, and storytelling. Also, at the MMC, be sure to attend the Honors Composition Con- cert on Saturday from 1:00-2:45. This year will also feature a change to our member meeting. Free to members, MMEA will be providing coffee and assorted light break- fast offerings Saturday. This social event will feature an awards ceremony and a short meeting, but will also be a great opportunity to mingle with other members. I hope to see you all there!
The busy month of March will bring more MMEA events including Instrumental Clin- ics, the 2nd Annual Elementary Honors Choir, the 2nd Annual Michigan Music Ed- ucation Advocacy Day, and the Collegiate Conference. We are excited to announce a second Instrumental Clinic site in Belleville, MI in addition to our Fowlerville site. The Honors Choir will be changing sites to De- Witt High School to accommodate the nu- merous students and parents we anticipate and the Collegiate Conference will be held at Grand Valley State University this year.
There are certainly many opportunities for members to engage in events and offerings this year. As always, keep your eyes out for postings on MMEA social media (Face- book, Twitter, and Pinterest) as well as on our new website. I look forward to seeing everyone at our various events this winter!
Musically yours,
Kelli Graham MMEA President
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President’s Message
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