Dear JJ,

Greetings from the Oregon Music Education Association! Click here to visit our new website.

The following email includes OMEA's November News.

Make sure to Click View entire Message at the bottom to see all of the content.

Thank you for supporting your student in the All-State audition process! There were over 3000 auditions this year, and the screeners continue to be impressed by efforts and performances of all the students.  

Teachers with All-State students will be receiving information and music from the ensemble managers for your students via email or in the mail prior to Thanksgiving break. Please make sure to print and forward any materials that are sent to you to your student and their parent/guardian. Thank you for your help in this process.

Teachers, Students, and Parents may access OMEA All-State information online at  oregonmea.org/all-state/event-information/

All-State Information documents available here: Elementary School Information, Middle School Information, High School Information

• 2025 OMEA All-State Ensemble Conductors & Repertoire
• 2025 All-State Rehearsal Schedule
• 2025 Concert Photography Order Form – from Musical Memories
• 2025 Concert CD & DVD Ordering Form – from Soundwaves
• 2025 All-State Merchandise – Order form for All-State event apparel and souvenirs.

Teachers of All-State members must register for the OMEA Conference, per OMEA policy. We look forward to seeing you in Eugene, and don't forget, with your conference badge you have free admission to all of the OMEA All-State concerts!

Kristi Stingle

OMEA All-State Chair

allstatechair@gmail.com

Registration for the OMEA 2025 Conference, "Resonance," is open! Join us from January 17-19, 2025, at the Graduate Hotel by Hilton in Eugene. Secure your spot today on our website! Register before January 1st for a discounted rate and banquet ticket. This year's banquet includes a performance by Project TRIO, awards for student compsers and educators, and a great opprotunity to connect with each other.

The conference schedule is available! You can view our session line-up here. 

Western Oregon University is providing up to 3 graduate credits for conference attendees.

Please secure housing as soon as you can! Click here for local hotel information.

Elizabeth Soper

OMEA Conference Chair

omeaconferencechair@gmail.com

PROJECT Trio to perform at the conference banquet!

PROJECT Trio is a dynamic and innovative music group known for their genre-blending performances and captivating stage presence. The trio pushes the boundaries of traditional chamber music with their unique fusion of classical, jazz, hip-hop, and world music influences. With virtuosic musicianship and contagious energy, PROJECT Trio has gained worldwide acclaim for their electrifying performances that defy categorization and captivate audiences of all ages. Their creative and adventurous approach to music-making has earned them a devoted following, making them a trailblazing force in the contemporary music landscape. 

Keynote Speaker: Peter Boonshaft

Called one of the most exciting and exhilarating voices in music education today, Peter Loel Boonshaft has been invited to speak and conduct in every state in the nation and around the world. Honored by the National Association for Music Education and Music For All as the first recipient of the “George M. Parks Award for Leadership in Music Education," Dr. Boonshaft is Director of Education for Jupiter Band Instruments.

Dr. Boonshaft is the author of the critically acclaimed best-selling books Teaching Music with Passion, Teaching Music with Purpose, and Teaching Music with Promise.  He is also co-author of Alfred Music Publishing’s method book series Sound Innovations.  As well, his weekly “Boonshaft’s Blog” for music educators continues to inspire teachers everywhere. He was on the faculty of Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, where he is Professor Emeritus of Music.

Western Oregon University will be offering graduate level credits for attending the OMEA conference. If you are interested, you must first be admitted to WOU, this process may take up to one week. The registration deadline is December 27th.

Please click here for more information.

This upcoming February the All-Northwest Conference will be held in Spokane from the 13th - 16th.

Click here for the conference website. Pre-registration opened October 7.

Direct any All-Northwest questions to Scott.Ketron@wmea.org.

Interested in Music Therapy? You’re invited to attend a free presentation with Music Therapist Dr. Deanna Hanson-Abromeit at UO’s Portland Campus (2800 NE Liberty St., Rm. 306) on Thursday, November 14th at 5:30 PM.

The talk, Music Therapy: The Art and Science of Improving the Human Condition, will be followed by an informal reception. If you’re interested in attending, please RSVP at tinyurl.com/musictherapypdx, or by scanning the QR code on the attached poster. Hope to see you there!

Free Music Technology workshop for teachers!

Have you been thinking about teaching Music Technology in your school? Have you been asked to teach Music Technology, but don't know where to start? Attend this free workshop to learn about Digital Audio Workstations (Soundtrap for Education and Ableton Live), basic recording skills, and get ideas for curriculum.  

Saturday, February 1, 2025, 9:00am-3:00pm, PSU Lincoln Hall.

If you need to renew your OMEA/NAfME membership, please do that sooner than later. Please click here to renew!

Your conference registration is much less expensive to OMEA/NAfME members.

OMEA has a new, future-focused Mission and Vision statement along with a set of Core Beliefs that will guide our Strategic Planning for the foreseeable future. Many thanks to those who gave feedback in our Strategic Planning Survey, as well as members of the board who took the time over the summer to create these statements of accountability and purpose. 

MISSION: OMEA supports music educators and advocates for equitable access to a high-quality and comprehensive music education for all students in Oregon. 

VISION: OMEA will serve as the trusted source for music advocacy in Oregon and will strive to increase the quality and accessibility of music education in our state. 

Please click here to read OMEA's Strategic Plan in full.

The Executive Board took the time over the summer to edit and streamline OMEA's Policies and Procedures document. The Board of Control approved changes in September.

Please click here to read OMEA's Policies and Procedures.

40th Annual Music In Our Schools Month® 

Get ready to celebrate! March 2025 is the 40th annual Music In Our Schools Month®, a huge national-level advocacy event celebrating school music programs. This year’s theme is United Through Music.  NAfME will be releasing a toolkit, activities, and social media graphics to share as we get closer to March.  Keep your ears open from advocacy actions from OMEA leading up to and during March.  

ACTION ITEM: Reach out to your School Board NOW to get a spot on the speaking docket for March. This process can take a while so start the wheels turning ASAP. Think about the story you’d like board members to hear, and engage with students and parents to highlight as many voices as possible.

NAfME Advocacy

• The NAfME Advocacy and Public Policy team recorded a presentation on how to utilize the new U.S. Dept. of Education guidance on federal funding and arts education. 

• Read the a recently released blog regarding the same topic.

NAfME Professional Learning

Looking for more professional development opportunities? See all of the NAfME webinars on their Professional Learning Calendar.  

LINKS

• OMEA Advocacy
• Advocacy Resources 
• Program Standards for Music in Oregon Schools (working on updating for 2024, stay tuned!)

Need advocacy support? Contact advocacy@oregonmea.org

We are the Oregon Music Educators Equity professional learning community! If you have a brilliant resource, song, approach, or idea that you want to share with other music educators, please share it here.

Thank you so much for those who participated in our affinity spaces at the conference! We would lover to hear your feedback and ideas for what to improve for next year!

Cynthia Navarro

DEI Co-Chair

navarro16@gresham.k12.or.us

Amanda Sarles

DEI Co-Chair

asarles@siuslaw.k12.or.us

Kathy Briggs

OMEA Choir Chair

kathy.briggs@smapdx.org

www.oracda.net

• Join OBDA, especially if you teach high school orchestra! We are now able to VOTE, giving us an actual voice in issues that impact our competitive orchestra season (Sightreading Rubrics and other changes to the OSAA/OBDA State Championships/Qualifiers). 
• Small Ensemble Festival Changes
• Continue following copyright law with student/accompanist/adjudicator sheet music. We are working to ensure that materials will be checked more thoroughly at festivals.
• A separate category of awards will be created for Mariachi at the qualifying and state level festivals. Even if these ensembles are adjudicated in the same room as Large String Ensembles, they will be judged and awarded in a separate category.
• Rule Change--1.4.11: A student may perform in more than one ensemble. If a student performs in more than one small ensemble of 3 or less in the same category, only the highest scoring qualifying ensemble will be eligible for state. The lower scoring qualifying ensemble may be considered as an alternate if there is space available.  
•  State Qualifying Orchestra Festival Managers
• Make sure you are hiring OBDA Certified Judges who hold CURRENT certification on the date of your festival for any state qualifying event. The list is maintained by OBDA (If you are an adjudicator, please make sure your contact information is current on the list!): https://www.oregonbda.org/orchestra.html

Brigid Mayer

OMEA Orchestra Chair

mayer_brigid@salkeiz.k12.or.us

www.orasta.org

Jen Bell

OMEA Band Chair

BELL_JENNIFER@salkeiz.k12.or.us

https://www.oregonbda.org/

The long-awaited Oregon Jazz Adjudicator Database is up and running! The purpose of this resource is to provide festival coordinators with a comprehensive and diverse list of professionals who are interested in adjudicating and providing jazz education in a festival setting. Each person on the list provided their own biography, experience, preferences, etc.

The current Jazz Adjudicator Database can be found HERE. 

Those accessing the database should be able to filter and organize the list however they'd like (by location, instrument, race/gender, etc.), but won't be able to alter the spreadsheet's contents. 

It is not too late to be added to this list! Submit requests to be added to the spreadsheet by filling out THIS FORM.

Jessika Smith

OMEA Jazz Chair

jessika_smith@parkrose.k12.or.us 

Welcome back, Small Schools Music Educators!

As you begin your new school year, I wanted to take the opportunity to let you know about a few handy resources. Oregon Small Schools has a Facebook group that is a great place to connect with other small schools music educators, share ideas, ask questions, and the like.

Please find us on Facebook by clicking here.

Excitingly, NAfME has recently put together a Small Schools Initiative. The website for this initiative is full of useful videos and information provided by small schools music educators from around the country. You can find those resources by clicking here.

We all share a wonderful and sometimes challenging job. As such, we truly are one another’s best resources. From first-year teachers to established veterans, connection is key to our success! If I can be of any assistance to you this year, please feel free to reach out to me at any time. I am always thrilled to hear from other small schools music teachers.

Best wishes for a great year!

Melissa Jmaeff

OMEA Small Schools Chair

melissa.jmaeff@sutherlin.k12.or.us

Please click here to access OMEA publications. Issuu will now archive all OMEA publications dating back to 1948. These older editions will be posted as access becomes available for scanning.

Please contact JJ Sutton if you are interested in submitting an article for future publications.

The Tri-M® Music Honor Society

is the only honor society for student musicians in grades 6-12.

We are excited to share that NAfME has partnered with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) to sponsor 10 NEW Tri-M® Music Honor Society Chapters during the 2024–2025 year! The deadline to apply is December 5, 2024.

Eligibility Requirements:

1. Have a willing faculty member able to fulfill the duties of the Advisor role.

2. Have never chartered a chapter or have not had an active chapter in the past 10 years.

3. Be in good standing with their NFHS state association.

4. Plan to or currently participate in NFHS state music contests and/or programs.

5. Plan for student leadership development.

Join a network of over 9,700 chartered chapters in all 50 states, involving more than 85,000 students. Besides shining a bright light on their school’s music programs, these future leaders contribute more than 750,000 service hours in their local communities each year.

Click here to apply!

Click here to access NFHS publications and e-newsletter subscriptions.

Follow OMEA on Instagram at "oregonmusiceducation."

You can also follow OMEA on Facebook by liking "Oregon Music Education Association."

OMEA social media is a great way to receive news and updates in real time!

Bandworld features the American Band College of Central Washington University and WIBC hosted annually in the fall in SeaTac.

Enjoy exceptional chamber music with Chamber Music Northwest's digital concerts available virtually at CMNW.org and live concerts in Portland, OR.

The Columbians Drum & Bugle Corps is a 501c3 non-profit organization serving the youth in the Tri-Cities, Washington, and surrounding areas.

Since 1750, Conn Selmer is the largest manufacturer and importer of band and orchestral instruments for students, amateurs, and professionals of all genres.

Students will have unique performance opportunities, music and theater clinics from industry professionals and by attending great shows.

Eugene Symphony is a professional orchestra performing classical, symphonic, and live music in Eugene, OR.

Delivering music since 1876. JW Pepper ® is your sheet music store for band, orchestra and choral music, piano sheet music, worship songs, songbooks and more.

Music education programs offering orchestra, band and jazz in Portland, Oregon. Celebrating our 50th anniversary!

Quality professional development in the Feierabend curricula in a fun, interactive way, so teachers can spend their time teaching.

Nova Music International offers services in music publishing, education, administration, summer camps, and events (workshops, guest conducting, clinics, adjudication, and festival management).  

The Oregon Ambassadors of Music continues to provide meaningful cultural experiences and extraordinary performance opportunities. Outstanding students from all over Oregon prepare music to perform in select cities throughout Europe.

The Oregon Children's Choir has served kids in Lane County for over 40 years. We offer excellent singing opportunities for kids in 1st through 12th grade.

The Festival is an outgrowth of ideas that formed in the Newport Symphony’s board and the Festival’s artistic leadership comes from the Music Director Adam Flatt.

Peripole is the exclusive dealers for Peripole® Halo® Recorders, Bergerault® Orff Instruments, Peripole® Percussion and the NEW Peripole® Classic™ Ukulele by Enya.

Quartet Violins specializes in violin, viola, cello, and bass rentals and sales. We are dedicated to providing quality instruments in great condition at an affordable price.

Southern Oregon University Music Program offers bachelor of music degrees, graduate programs focused on music performance & music education degrees.

The music program offers a Bachelor of arts in music with 4 tracks: In all four, the liberal arts core curriculum is complemented by a deep study of music in applied private lessons, ensembles and the classroom.

We specialize in repairs, sales, and rentals of band and orchestra instruments. We also offer sales, setups, and repairs on fretted instruments such as guitars, ukuleles, and bass guitars.