A Report on the 2017 Society for Music Teacher Education Symposium
Te 2017 Society of Music Teacher Education’s Biennial Symposium on Music Teacher Educa- tion was held September 7-9 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Te 2017 symposium marked a de- parture in location from the previous meeting place in North Carolina. Te decision to change locations was a response to North Carolina leg- islation that SMTE believed would discriminate against transgender individuals.
Imagining Possible Futures was the theme of the symposium through which Constance McKoy encouraged attendees to “consider what new and innovative directions our music teacher preparation programs might take to keep pace with the multiple and diverse ways in which individuals engage with music.”1
Tis them
was evident through the many events of the symposium including: keynote, plenary, and closing addresses; meetings of the 12 Areas for Strategic Planning and Action; 60 primary sessions, research poster sessions, and career mentoring workshops. Te career mentoring workshops were a new addition to the Sympo- sium and provide opportunities for attendees to meet with mentors to discuss numerous aspects of careers in higher education including getting a first job, research and publication, and promotion and tenure. Tese workshops were well attended, particularly for attendees in the earlier phases of their careers.
Te opening session featured a welcome and introduction from Brett Nolker, chair of the symposium; Constance McKoy, President of the Society for Music Teacher Education, and Yohuru Williams, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of St. Tomas. Te Keynote Address was delivered by Aar- on Dworkin from the University of Michigan and founder of the Sphinx Organization. In his presentation, “Professor Maverick Trows the DICE: Wagering on Diversity, Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship in the Arts,” Dworkin shared stories of the important influ-
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Anand Raj Sukumaran & Molly K. Baugh
ence of music teachers in his life as an African American classical violinist. He directed the audience’s attention toward the lack of diversi- ty in the professional symphony orchestras of the United States and the work of the Sphinx Organization to address this issue by increasing access and support for young people to pur- sue music. Dworkin concluded his address by highlighting the need for an increased focus on entrepreneurship at the undergraduate level to help student musicians develop the skills neces- sary to be successful professional artists.
Areas for Strategic Planning and Action (ASPAs) meetings took place on Friday and Saturday mornings and were a space where faculty members and doctoral students could pose questions, share insights, and formulate approaches towards areas of strategic interest. Participants could select from a wide range of topics including: (1) Critical Examination of the Curriculum; (2) Cultural Diversity and Social Justice; (3) Music Teacher Educators: Identification, Preparation, and Professional Development; (4) Music Teacher Socialization; (5) Policy; (6) Supporting Beginning Music Teachers; (7) Professional Development for the Experienced Teacher; (8) Program Admission, Assessment, and Alignment; (9) School/Uni- versity Partnerships; (10) Teacher Evaluation; and, (11) Teacher Recruitment. Interested readers can find a final mind map of all ASPA ongoing research projects in ‘prezi’ format by following this link:
https://prezi.com/view/ t0nGxXeTNlzTGRIVV0nU/
Saturday aſternoon saw the participants break out into meetings based on geographical affil- iation. Michigan was well represented in the North Central Division, which covers the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wis- consin. All states were represented apart from South Dakota. Approximately 30 members of the N.C. division were present.
SMTE
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