In a word, “WOW”. What an exciting experience for everyone at the 2025 AMEA Professional Development Conference. From the first session to the last, there was so much quality and timely information shared. It was so great to see so many collegiate members taking advantage of the sessions and learning opportunities throughout the conference. They were excited to be there and were very friendly when asked where they were from and what they had learned in their sessions. These cNAfME members are the future of our profession, eager to take the reins of our music programs. The HED Luncheon was also well attended. The fellowship with our higher education colleagues was very refreshing and enlightening. One of the discussions during the business section of the luncheon was about where we, as the Higher Education Division, envision ourselves in the future of AMEA. What do the higher education population in Alabama want from our organization and how can we better serve them? There is a simple questionnaire that they were asked to fill out to help us define this coming year and our involvement in the 2026 AMEA Professional Development Conference. If you are in higher education, I would encourage and invite you to also answer the questionnaire. As an educator in higher education working with students who will be the future music educators, it is important that we collaborate to further and better the preparation we are offering our students. Please scan this QR code and answer the questions. I also encourage you to become a part of AMEA if you are not currently, not only for yourselves, but for your students.
It is also great to see our leadership so open and friendly and willing to give their time to our membership as well as our students to encourage them in their endeavors and pursuit of a career in music. The students that came to the conference with me were excited to be able to meet with and talk with some of the leadership during the supper break on Thursday night.
The keynote was a great highlight of the conference. Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser had a great message that I think we can all relate to. The special performance by the Aeolians of Oakwood University after the keynote was also a treat.
The Faculty/Student Showcase Recital was also phenomenal. If you missed it you really missed some very talented performers providing an outstanding showcase. There were also many talented school groups that performed at various venues throughout the conference. This year’s conference was one to remember. If you didn’t have the opportunity to attend this year’s conference I hope you make plans to attend next year. The opportunities to learn and grow are abundant. The talent and professionalism of the presenters, as well as their knowledge and preparation, is outstanding. The refresh that you receive from all the events and performances is absolutely well worth the time and effort to attend.
Two quotes I heard at this conference, “None of us is as smart as all of us”, a quote attributed to Ken Blanchard, and “The way you do anything is the way you do everything” are both great ideals and a great way to describe the value of the AMEA Professional Development Conference. Learning is a life-long endeavor. Taking advantage of every opportunity we have to learn gives us a decided advantage in our craft. I want to express my thanks to all who made this possible. I leave you with one last quote from Leonard Bernstein. “Music, because of its specific and far-reaching metaphorical powers, can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.”