Maine music teachers and students gathered at the University of Maine in Orono for the Maine Music Educators Association’s (MMEA) In-Service Conference last month. The conference offered performances from chorus, band, strings and jazz, and also provided professional development opportunities on proficiency and student assessment methods specific to each area of instruction. The workshops focused on the value of music education and musicianship and were presented by university and K-12 faculty, conductors, professional musicians and band directors.
Educators recognized for their outstanding service and support of school music programs were Falmouth Public Schools superintendent Barbara Powers as MMEA’s Administrator of the Year and RSU 9 based Mount Blue High School music teacher Karen Beacham as MMEA ‘s Teacher of the Year.
The conference’s universal theme was the lessons that music teach including conveying ideas adjusting techniques and collaboration through musical performance.
National Association for Music Education’s (NAfME) Christopher Woodside spoke about how music education not only impacts academic achievement, it also shapes the way students understand themselves and the world around them.
For more information on school music programs, contact Maine DOE’s Visual and Performing Arts Specialist Kevin Facer at kevin.facer@maine.gov or 207-624-6826.