Brooke Gray and The Oak Mountain Melodies kicked things off for us with a wonderful concert bright and early Thursday morning. Dr. Scott Sexton led us through so many genius ideas about using solfege, teaching musical literacy, and incorporating historical events like the Titanic into what we do every day. How fun was BINGO with the SHAKE board?! What a great time of socializing and practicing our aural skills!
Our 2nd Bi-Annual AMEA Elementary All-State Choir was a great success. Dr. Sexton rehearsed with over 120 4th through 6th graders from across the state all day Friday and delivered a fantastic performance that evening. Special thanks to our Elementary Past-President, Alicia Luttrell, for organizing and coordinating such a great event.
On Saturday, we got to watch practical, real-time teaching take place with a choral demonstration group from Shades Mountain and Trace Crossings Elementary Schools. I know I left encouraged with so many tips and strategies to try at my school.
Let me go ahead and get you thinking: Apply to present a session or perform at AMEA next year! Spring performances are a great time to make good quality recordings of your groups. The deadline for session and performance proposals are June 1st. Details about how to apply are on the AMEA website under the “Conference” tab. Reach out to people who have done it before and ask them questions. I’m sure they would be happy to help!
Reflecting back, and perhaps most importantly, our conference reminds us every year that we are not alone. Conversations in hallways, shared laughter over lunch, the quiet “same here” moments during sessions, and even the venting of job-related frustrations all reinforce the value of community. As elementary music teachers, we can sometimes feel isolated in our buildings, but conferences and organizations like AMEA help reconnect us to a broader network of colleagues facing similar challenges and celebrating similar successes. I encourage you to join AMEA if you are not already a member, and to take part in the fellowship and sense of belonging that come with being part of something bigger than yourself. If you missed out this year, go ahead and put January 21-23, 2027, on your calendar so you can make plans to be with us in Birmingham next year!
As we return to our classrooms, my hope is that we carry this sense of connection with us and know that we’re not doing this work alone. If you need me or any of your Elem/Gen board members, please reach out at elementaryamea@gmail.org. We are here to serve you!
- President: Jason Jackson
- President-Elect: Devin Lacy
- Secretary: Jessi White
- Treasurer: Katie Coe
- Past President/All-State Director: Alicia Luttrell
- Festival Director: Andrea Marsh
- Hospitality Coordinator: Rachel Harbin
- Social Media Representative: Brooke Gray
- District 1: Lea Hoppe & Victoria Truesdail
- District 2: Karen Morgan
- District 3: Trudye Confessore & Kris Lindley
- District 4: Lisa Gillespie
- District 5: Katie Manning
- District 6: Erica Lutz
- District 7: Kristen MacQueen
- District 8: Christy Clark & Andrea Marsh
Not sure which district you’re in? Click here for a map.
Upcoming Dates:
- ACDA Young Voices Festival at University of Alabama – April 24-25 (See email from Meredith DeVore forwarded in mid-January for more info.)
- Orff Levels I & II at Samford University – June 14 (Sunday) through June 26
- Kodaly Levels at University of Montevallo – July 6-17
- East Alabama Elementary General Music Workshop in Auburn – August 29
- AMEA Elementary Music Festival at Samford University – October 23 (Be on the lookout this spring for an email from Andrea Marsh about how to register your school.)