There’s a line taken from the musical Chicago, where Velma Kelly sings, “In case you shake apart and want a brand-new start…” Have you ever felt that way at the end of a school year? We all know teaching music is not for the faint of heart. It can be richly rewarding one minute and utterly draining the next. But now, August has arrived and the time is ripe for your brand-new start. Take a moment to reflect on what worked well last year and what didn’t. How can you “plus” your music classroom this time around? Whether you have only a few months of experience under your belt or decades, we all have room to improve. I think it’s important to think on a small scale, like the old saying suggests: “It’s a cinch by the inch, but it’s hard by the yard.” Perhaps you can start the year with one focal point of improvement. If you find success quickly, celebrate the improvement and keep striving to better yourself!
For me, it’s all about genuine conversations this year. Getting to know my students beyond their musical accomplishments, reaching out to friends and colleagues to show them I’m interested and care about what they are doing. And most importantly, carving out intentional time for my family and church when I’m away from work. That careful balancing act keeps me refueled and energetic – the key to capturing the attention of the teenagers I teach each day.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to colleagues in Alabama (or nationwide) and visit classrooms to see what others are doing. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. My first band handbook must have been very flattering to Kim Bain and Jerell Horton. But I digress – on to some business…
AMEA Summer Board Meeting
In mid-June, your AMEA Governing Board met to discuss activities for the upcoming year. We welcomed a slew of new faces this year: AMEA President-Elect Stuart Tankesley, AMEA Executive Secretary Greg Gumina, AOA President Keith LaBenne and President-Elect Kate Francis, AVA President Zachary Banks, Higher Ed Division President Dr. Ted Hoffman and President-Elect Dr. Brandon Slocumb, and our new cNAfME Advisor Dr. Danielle Todd. As you will read in the articles following this one, there are musical activities planned for every teacher, age group, size, geographic location, and discipline. If you have other activities you would like to propose to further modernize our association and reach more students and/or teachers, please do not hesitate to reach out to the division presidents or to me.
NAfME National Assembly and Hill Day 2026
Dr. Phil Wilson (Past-President), Dr. Rob Lyda (NAfME Advocacy Leadership Force), Dr. Shane Colquhoun (NAfME Council for Innovations Chair), Stuart Tankesley (President-Elect), Hannah Herring (Alabama cNAfME Secretary), and I traveled to Reston, Virginia, to participate in NAfME’s National Leadership Assembly and Hill Day in late June. Leaders of music educator associations (MEAs) from across the United States gathered to materialize topics covered in NAfME’s strategic plan and blueprint, and how to practically enact these initiatives in our states. Throughout this working assembly, we discussed and provided insight on advocacy issues plaguing our states, music teacher recruitment and retention, ways NAfME can better support our MEA’s, and various other topics. NAfME President, Dr. Cecil Adderly, provided words of inspiration and encouragement as we connected with other states. During the National Assembly, we also met in regional meetings. Each southeastern state president provided a “state of the state” address. This allowed us to glean some valuable information from neighboring states that I’ll share in my vision at the end of this article.
One of the highlights of the National Assembly was traveling to Washington, DC, to meet with our state representatives. Our Executive Board met with Senator Katie Britt, Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Congressman Dale Strong, and staffers from Senator Tuberville, Congressman Aderholt, and Congressman Figures’ offices. During these meetings, we advocated for continued support for Title I, II, and IV funds, the HBCU Arts Education Act, and the Arts Education for All Act. We also reported the lucrative financial impact the music industry contributes to our state so they could see the direct impact our work has on the people of Alabama. You can read more about our conversations with your elected officials on our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. I encourage you to follow “Alabama Music Educators Association” on these platforms.
While on Capitol Hill, our delegation from Alabama was also invited on a tour of the Library of Congress by Loras Schissel, senior musicologist. This visit included a trip to the music vault, where we had an opportunity to peruse the original manuscript for John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” This was particularly special as we approach America’s semi-quincentennial- the 250th anniversary of our country.
2027 Professional Development Conference
Plans are already underway for what we know will be a memorable 2027 Professional Development Conference. We are excited to welcome you back to Birmingham at the BJCC on January 21-23, 2027. Division presidents and their committees are diligently reviewing session proposals and performance applications for this conference. The sessions and performing groups will be announced in the next edition of the Ala Breve. However, I am delighted that our guest for the week will be Scott Lang, a high-energy keynote speaker (self-described as a double shot of espresso in human form), author of over 10 books for music educators, and a nationally known leadership trainer. Scott single-handedly changed the way I approached student leadership in my music classroom, and I know he’ll be a big hit with teachers, young and old. Scott will deliver our keynote and lead several other sessions at our conference. We are also working on some exciting, featured performance opportunities that will be a first for our conference, so stay tuned!
Vision
AMEA is now strong with over 1,500 members – making us the 17th largest MEA in the country. I’m honored and humbled to serve you all, and I thank you for electing me to lead our association. I’ve been fortunate to meet many of you in the last two years, but I also realize many of us haven’t crossed paths. For those who don’t know my vision for AMEA, let me share briefly what I hope to accomplish from 2026 to 2028:
It is imperative that we work together to advocate for recognition and incorporation of fine arts classes, particularly music, as a career pathway. Career technical studies have soared to prominence in the last decade. It is our job to educate school-system leadership about the career opportunities that music can provide. This helps us remain relevant in a culture that is widely leaning toward career-based education in our schools.
Dr. Rob Lyda, an AMEA Past President and now our Advocacy Chair, is already assisting me in investigating a fine arts diploma seal for high school graduates in our state. Georgia and Florida have recently added this recognition within the last calendar year, and Mississippi has started laying the groundwork as well. Doing so in Alabama ensures that students are rewarded for investing in the arts during their formative years.
As teacher shortages continue, I’m also making it a priority to continue the vision of our AMEA immediate Past-President, Dr. Phil Wilson. Collectively, we must work to increase collegiate involvement in our organization and use AMEA’s platform to encourage students who are studying music education in our state.
Collegiates are the future of our profession and our association. Keeping music alive and thriving in our state will take the effort of our current and retired members to help train the next generation of music educators.
Regarding communication, I’m working with our executive board to encourage more robust interactions across our social media platforms, our website, the Ala Breve, and on our conference app. But I’m open to other ideas as well. What is the best way to communicate with YOU? Let me know! And I encourage you to interact with things you see posted. If you read an interesting post, like and share to help us engage with others.
Finally, as the largest arts organization in the state of Alabama, I’m working to improve our branding. We’ve heard you – you want swag! And we’re in the process of investigating the best method of getting you the items you want. I expect to see some coffee mugs, polos, and vinyl decals in January. It’s going to be AWESOME – just like YOU!
Keep making music!
Dr. Travis Bender, President
Alabama Music Educators Association