In addition to articles from all the CMEA Council Chairs, the Winter Journal also includes photos and bios of most of the performing group directors and the conference clinicians.
If you are like me, I come to CMEA because I love the people and the relationships! I always return home from the conference with a sense of content and desire to be better at my instructional pedagogy. Why do my students love music? Because I can guide their musical growth to promote a shared aesthetic experience. I believe that this is why WE all come to CMEA: to be better at our craft and to strengthen our connections. Because of this, I can hardly wait to see everyone in January. There is so much to learn, share, and enjoy together.
The conference will kick-off with an intense day for our Tri-M Chapters as they learn about healthy music making and gain inspirational leadership experiences. General attendees can attend rehearsal labs sponsored by every council beginning late Wednesday afternoon. CMEA has worked collaboratively with state organizations and specialties to bring in renowned names such as Doug Akey, Artie Almeida, Dale Duncan, Dr. Rachel Gibson, Randy Greenwell, Sam Heminger, Scott Laird, Joshi Marshall, Dr. Richard Mayne, Dr. Darla Meek, Chris Munce, and more! Be sure to attend the Exhibit Opening Reception on Thursday at 5:00 to visit all of the retailers and enjoy fellowship while listening to live music. Celebrations for the conference include returning exhibitors and the return of the Elementary All-State Childrens’ Choir after a two year hiatus. Don’t forget that CMEA is also the site for All-State Vocal Jazz and Jazz Band as Saturday wraps up the entire conference.
Coming together means building relationships, re-connecting with colleagues and friends, reflecting, and conversing over challenges and celebrations. I can’t wait to see each of you and connect.
Executive Director News
William Kohut
Happy New Year CMEA!!
For the 2023 CMEA Conference, the registration process continues to be expanded to offer more options for registration and to make the entire process more streamlined and quicker. If you missed this process last year no one waited in line for more than 5 minutes. Did you miss early bird registration (August- October) or Pre-registration (November – December) for the CMEA Conference? Don’t worry, you can still register online and avoid having to register at the last minute using the “on the spot” module. Regular registration is now open until Friday, January 13.
What happens if you miss this deadline? On Saturday, January 14th an “on the spot” registration module will open on the CMEA website. You will use this form to register for the conference. You can use this module to complete your registration up to the time you arrive at the conference, or when you arrive. You will have the option to pay by credit card or to receive an invoice and pay by check or cash at the registration desk. If you use this system to register by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, January 24th and have paid by credit card you will proceed to the completed registration pick-up area to pick-up your conference badge without standing in line. If you are paying by check or cash, you will proceed to the “On-The-Spot” registration area.
What happens if I need to renew my membership or add an attendance certificate? To renew your membership, you will use this online module and renew through CMEA for a higher processing fee. It is best to renew your membership by going to NAfME at this link https://nafme.org/join-renew/ . Make sure you renew before arriving at the conference and bring confirmation of your renewal with you to the conference. If you want to add an attendance certificate you can make this choice all the way up to 11:00 am on Saturday, January 28th.
Registration confirmation emails
Registration confirmation emails will be sent to all attendees on Friday, January 20th. This email will contain important information on the conference. Make sure that review this information before you arrive at the conference.
The full CMEA Conference Website and Schedule can now be accessed at this link:
