President's Message

Casey Cropp

I’ve been informed recently that school has started. Since I’ve been retired for 12 years, I don’t seem to have the ticking clock mentality I once did when I was under contract. However, I still miss interacting with students, especially during the daily rehearsals, and observing their musical growth! I admire each of you who continue investing in enriching young people's lives across Colorado.

Our leadership has been exemplary in planning the 2025 CMEA Conference in January! Their work and dedication over the past several months have been a joy to observe! To say they’ve been deliberate, responsive, and professional in creating a phenomenal schedule for the conference is a monumental understatement. I believe this January will be an event that will enhance your teaching career exponentially! I hope you are planning on reconnecting with your family or colleagues.

I am thrilled to announce that my friend, Dr. Tim Lautzenhauser, will be our Keynote Speaker for the opening session on Thursday. In keeping with the theme for the 2025 Conference - “Cultivating Excellence! Appreciate, Inspire, Support & Guide” – Dr. Tim will share his thoughts on “Building a Culture of Excellence!” Whether you’ve experienced Dr. Tim dozens of times, or his insights have never blessed you, I know you will be rewarded by attending this session! An added premium to the opening session will be the performance by an exceptional ensemble, the Mariachi Halcones de Skyline! I highly recommend you attend and experience this wonderful group!

It is an honor to serve you as a Colorado Music Educators Association member. Please continue communicating your needs to me or anyone in your council leadership. We want and need your voice to be heard!

My best thoughts and hopes for a genuinely remarkable year of making music with your students and friends!!

Casey

PresidentCMEA@cmeaonline.org

Audition Objectives, Process, and Criteria for Honor Performing Ensembles CMEA Conference New Language and Criteria for the 2026 Conference and Beyond

At the CMEA Board Meeting on August 10, 2024, the CMEA Board of Directors listened to directors’ concerns regarding policies and procedures for submitting an audition to have a group selected to perform at the annual conference. The Board concluded after much discussion that CMEA’s Objective for Honor Performing Groups is to promote high-quality performances at the annual conference and to highlight the excellent work being executed by members and their students throughout Colorado. In selecting honor ensembles, the CMEA State Assembly will strive to select ensembles from a diverse representation of small, large, rural, urban, and city-center schools and geographic locations within our state. The new criteria entitled “Audition Objectives, Process, and Criteria for Honor Performing Ensembles CMEA Conference New Language and Criteria for the 2026 Conference and Beyond” is now posted on the CMEA website. These policies and procedures begin with auditions for the 2026 conference (Spring of 2025) and beyond. The link to the document can be found on the CMEA website by clicking the “Conference Tab” and selecting the Clinic/Conference Performing group tab.

President-Elect Message

Leila Heil

Call for nominations! Deadline extended to October 15

Have you or another music educator you know been wondering how to get more involved in CMEA, perhaps even in CMEA leadership? Here is the perfect opportunity!

The General, Vocal, and Instrumental Councils seek candidates for the January 2025 CMEA State Assembly election ballot. Serving in the CMEA State Assembly is a great way to get involved and share ideas/suggestions about current and future CMEA initiatives and activities.

The following offices are up for election this year:

• Chair-Elect- General Music Council
• Chair-Elect- Vocal Music Council
• Chair-Elect- Instrumental Music Council
• Council Secretary- Vocal Music Council
• General Music Representatives- District 1, District 3, District 5, District 7
• Vocal Music Representatives- District 1, District 3, District 5, District 7
• Instrumental Music Representatives- District 1, District 3, District 5, District 7

To be eligible to run for office, a candidate must be a current active or retired member of CMEA. Council Chairs must wait one election cycle before running for the same office.

Elections will take place via electronic ballot in the first two weeks of January 2025, and results will be announced during the opening session at the CMEA conference. The term for each office is two years, beginning on February 1 following the election. For more information about the structure of these leadership positions and the election process, please see the CMEA Bylaws at https://cmeaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/CMEA-By-laws-Adopted-1-24-2024.pdf

If you know someone interested in serving as an officer or would like to nominate yourself, please send names and contact information to the current Chair-Elect (listed below) associated with the open position before October 15.

CHAIR-ELECT – GENERAL MUSIC COUNCIL – Paul Maley

paulmaleymusic@gmail.com

CHAIR-ELECT – INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC COUNCIL – Chuck Stephen

cntstephen@gmail.com

CHAIR-ELECT – VOCAL MUSIC COUNCIL – Bryan Kettlewell

bryan.kettlewell@gmail.com

Thank you, and have a wonderful fall!

PresidentelectCMEA@cmeaonline.org

Vocal Music Council News

Alyssa Miller, Chair

Dear Vocal Music Educators of Colorado,

I hope this message finds you well and thriving as you head into the second half of the first semester. Your dedication and passion are truly inspiring, and I wish you a successful and fulfilling continuation of the school year.

REGISTER FOR CMEA 2025! As we look ahead, I want to remind you to take advantage of the early registration period for CMEA 2025, which runs from October 16 to December 23, 2024. Don’t miss this opportunity to secure your place at a discounted rate and make the most of what we have planned for you at CMEA 2025!

We are excited to announce our headliners for CMEA 2025: Dr. Julie Yu and Professor Philip Silvey. 

Dr. Julie Yu is an acclaimed conductor and professor of music at Oklahoma City University. She is known for her innovative approaches to choral music and her work with various renowned ensembles. Her expertise will greatly enrich CMEA 2025 by providing valuable insights and inspiration for choral conductors and educators.

Professor Philip Silvey is a distinguished composer, arranger, and music education professor. His compositions span various genres and styles and have earned him widespread recognition. With a deep understanding of education and a passion for fostering musical growth, Professor Silvey’s contributions will significantly enhance our CMEA 2025 experience.

Thank you! A heartfelt thank you to everyone who submitted clinic proposals or to be considered as performance ensembles for the 2025 Clinic/Conference. Your contributions are crucial in shaping our events and enhancing our professional community. 

Thank you for your continued commitment to vocal music education. I wish you continued success and inspiration as you positively impact your students' musical journeys! Please always feel free to contact your district representative, the Chair-Elect (Bryan Kettlewell), or myself with any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions. 

VocalMusicCouncilChairCMEA@CMEAonline.org 

College and University Music Council News

Martina Miranda, Chair

Welcome back to another year of teaching and learning in our beautiful state. Each fall, I’m encouraged to see all recent graduates stepping into their careers as music educators. I want to encourage each of us to offer our support and encouragement as they work with their new students. As we begin the 2024-25 school year, I’d like to welcome our new representatives:

• Ben Justis Western at Colorado University
• Parker Borszich at Western Colorado University (CNAfME President)
• Elise Ehlert at University Colorado Boulder (CNAfME - President-Elect).

I’d also like to congratulate Brett Keating on his new role at Colorado State University-Pueblo. He replaces Mark Hudson as the CSU Pueblo representative. We want to thank Mark for his many years of service to CMEA!

As we look ahead to this coming year, each of us wants to extend an invitation to let us know how we can support you and continue to build strong connections between K 12 teachers and our programs. Thank you for all you do, and we look forward to seeing you in January at the annual conference!

Technology News

Sean Hedding, Chair

Hello Music Educators!

It has been an interesting few weeks in the world of music technology, with Finale Music Notation announcing that they are ending development and support for Finale and essentially deciding to “kill” their program over the next several months. Finale’s withdrawal of support for their product is catastrophic for Finale users, especially for working composers! Essentially, when the program stops working on your machine, you’re out of luck! 

Whether you’ve purchased Finale on your device or on school-owned equipment, I strongly encourage you to print hard copies of important Finale projects you want to keep (Compositions/Arrangements; Music Theory Worksheets; Tests and Quizzes; Warm-Up Exercises; Orff Ensemble Arrangements; etc) as soon as you can, and also exporting your Finale files as “Music XML” files that can be imported into other programs. Exporting these documents as PDFs is also a great option if you don’t want to store physical copies. There will come a time when your computer won’t open Finale anymore, whether it’s due to bugs in Finale’s software or your computer’s operating system updating itself and Finale eventually becoming incompatible. Please don’t find yourself unable to access your materials.

While Finale did endorse and is encouraging its customers towards one specific Music Notation Software for their customers to switch to, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me as the Technology Chair for CMEA to endorse any particular music notation software. What I can do, however, is encourage the Finale users in our membership to research the remaining music notation software options and try them out, as “workflow” varies significantly from program to program. There are some programs that closely resemble Finale’s note input method and others that are vastly different. Before investing your money (or your school’s/district’s money), I highly suggest downloading demo versions of the software and/or watching tutorial videos on how note input works to make the most informed decision. I must also note that there are free options for music notation software, although they are not without their own pros and cons. 

If your school is fortunate enough to have a music tech lab and you’re using Finale, you need to start researching an alternate program for your music students to use so you and your district can begin the process of purchasing licenses for your software of choice. 

If you’re a Finale user and have questions about this, please reach out to Finale’s customer support or visit their website at - finalemusic.com

I’m tremendously excited about all of this year’s Technology sessions. As you might expect, there are several sessions discussing AI and how we can best use this powerful tool as music educators. While January is still a few months away (but will be here before you know it), here’s a short list of things you can use AI for right now to take something off of your plate! You can use AI to - 

• Write program notes for your Concert
• Generate Permission Slips for Field Trips (if your district doesn’t have a template)
• Create Rubrics! (Playing/Singing Tests; Writing Assignments) 
• Generate handouts for your students:
• How to swab a clarinet
• How to clean a brass instrument
• How to change a guitar string
• Create a short biography on a composer or period of music history

While the responses you get from AI might not be perfect, they can get you close or at least off to a great start. I have no problems admitting that I made AI give me about 100 different names for my high school’s marching band show this year (we did pick one of them as our show title). 

Google Gemini is one example of a free-to-use AI tool that you can use for all of the above tasks. Always be careful when sharing information online, and make sure to comply with your district’s policies. 

We always will have too much on our plate; let technology take something off of it for you!

Greetings from Tri-M

Michelle Ewer, Chair

I hope you had a wonderful break and are back in full swing. Of course, being back includes Tri-M How did your chapter help start the year? Did they help with setting up your room or greeting incoming students? Perhaps you have decided it is time to start a chapter at your school. There are many possibilities, and no right or wrong answer exists.

Save the date of January 29^th, 2025! Tri-M Day is going to be amazing. Many great sessions are planned, from wellness strategies to military bands to composing and conducting. Students will create their own Mini-Conference with three sessions relevant to their needs. Our keynote speaker this year is Peter Boonshaft, a great motivational speaker. The cost per student is $35. $40 for late registration. Our day runs from 9:00-4:00. Plan on arriving by 8:30 to get settled in. Lunch is on your own. Please note that all directors and Co-Directors must be registered for the convention to bring your students to Tri-M Day. For some, this may involve purchasing a 1-day attendance badge. Chaperones who are not music directors may attend for free. Registration will open in November. Please watch for it. Join CMEA on Facebook and Instagram, where you will also see updates. 

If you are new to Tri-M, we end our day in song. Please bring your instrument and a music stand. Several sessions involve playing, and you will want to participate in the finale. Tri-M has a new email address: TriMChairCMEA@cmeaonline.org. Please make a note of it.

I look forward to a great year ahead, and I am always happy to answer questions as they arise. Have a terrific September!

CMEA 2025 Conference

“Cultivating Excellence”

Registration is now open



Registration for the 2025 CMEA Clinic/Conference is now open. We are excited to offer this year’s CMEA Conference, “Cultivating Excellence.” Individuals may register and pay by credit card or mail a payment by check only. All credit card payments must be made online. Schools or school districts registering more than one teacher at a time must use the Group Registration Form.

Reservations for

The Broadmoor Hotel

are now open

Reservations for the CMEA Room block at The Broadmoor Hotel, the official hotel of the CMEA Conference, can be made beginning on August 1, 2024, using the Passkey booking link below.

Reservations can also be made by calling the Hotel Reservations Center at 719-577-5775. When you call to book your reservations, make sure to tell them you are attending the CMEA Conference so you receive the CMEA hotel room rate.

If you are booking for a school group with a block of rooms, you need to contact the CMEA Room Reservation Manager at The Broadmoor Hotel, Candice Gilmore, at ((719)- 387 6695 or by emailing her at CGILMORE@broadmoor.com.

CMEA Board Policy- Membership

CMEA Board policy states that for students to participate in Elementary, Middle, or High School All-State Choir, High School All-State Jazz Choir, All-State High School Band, and High School All-State Orchestra, directors must be an active member of CMEA at the time your student(s) both audition and participate in CMEA sponsored All-States Ensembles.

In order to register for the conference as a CMEA/NAfME member, your membership must not be expired or expire before 6/30/2025. (If your membership expires between 1/1/25 and 6/30/25, you must renew it prior to registering for the conference.) To check on the status of your membership, you may contact NAfME at 1-800-336-3768.

If you select the option to pay your membership renewal through CMEA through conference registration, your membership renewal will NOT be forwarded to NAfME until April 30 for renewal. If you pay your membership to CMEA and it expires after 6/30/2025, you need to contact CMEA for a refund of this money. CMEA will not forward this money to NAfME as membership dues increase on July 1 of each year. 

Please note: If you wish to vote in the January election, you must renew your membership directly with NAfME by December 15, 2024.

From Cynthia Eversole, CMEA Past President

Nominations for CMEA Honor Awards Close October 4

The Colorado Music Educators Association recognizes individuals for their contributions to music education in the categories listed below. Nominations for the 2025 CMEA Conference will follow the timeline outlined below. 

• Submission form open on Thursday, August 1, 2024
• Forms close on Friday, October 4, 2024
• Committee meets by October 25, 2024
• Award Recipients notified by the CMEA Past-President by Friday, November 1, 2024

PastPresidentCMEA@cmeaonline.org

Process to Order Music Awards

The Colorado Music Educators Association is proud to partner with Western Awards and Recognition for the purchase of All-State Medals and Perpetual Plaques, CHSSA Large Festival Plaques, CMEA Conference Honor Performing Group Medals and Patches, and Solo and Ensemble Medals. Click on the link below to obtain an order form and either email or mail this Western Awards and Recognition. Western Awards and Recognition can also be reached at (303)-699-5691 or through email at westernawards@comcast.net .

Click HERE to download the awards order form.

Support our 2024 CMEA Exhibitors

Click HERE to see the exhibitor listings