Posted by Andy on April 23, 2011 at 11:39 pm
As usual, the PMEA State conference offered very beneficial sessions that covered a wide variety of topics. In addition there were a bunch of very impressive performances including The “Pershing’s Own” United States Army Band. There were also quite a few exhibitors represented including SoundTree, SmartMusic, Finale and Sibelius.
PMEA 2011 Live-Blogs
The PMEA live-blogs were certainly a big success. We did however realize that the schedule for the live-blogs was quite rigorous. So in an attempt to catch up with some colleagues (and eat lunch!), some of the sessions were not covered. I will be updating the schedule to represent the sessions that were covered. For the sessions that were covered, the live-blogs are now in replay mode, which means you can go back and take a look at our session notes for the sessions that you didn’t attend! Overall, I felt that this live-blog model worked pretty well. I was very excited to try this new approach to live-blogging at conferences. It was certainly a necessary and useful step in the evolution of web 2.0 integration in traditional professional development. Be sure to keep checking back here for some posts based off many of the sessions from PMEA 2011!
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Posted by Andy on March 29, 2011 at 1:21 pm
The 2011 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Annual State Conference is quickly approaching. This year’s conference will be held at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center from April 14th-16th in Hershy, PA. With sessions spanning various topics including music education, music performance, technology, advocacy, and a variety of exceptional performaces, there is something for everyone at PMEA. (more…)
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Posted by Andy on December 15, 2010 at 3:04 am
This year, FutureMusicEducators.Net will be live-blogging and tweeting the events of the Midwest Clinic. I have joined forces with Ryan Dore (@britishbuegler), another music education undergraduate from Grove City College to cover the events. Head over to the Midwest 2010 page to check out all of the Midwest happenings. For all of you Twitter folks, be sure to follow the hashtag #Midwest10 to keep up with those tweeting about their experiences! As always, feel free to comment and contribute to the conversation! To find more live-blogging from other Midwest sessions by undergraduate Andy Zweibel, head over to MusicEdMajor.Net!
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Posted by Andy on October 6, 2010 at 11:32 pm
The first ever Music Education Technology Online Summit is quickly approaching. The event will be held from 12:00PM -5:00PM this coming Monday, October 11th. (more…)
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Posted by Andrew on May 18, 2010 at 4:31 pm
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Projects are done, final exams completed. Summer is finally here! If you are like me, you’ve gone from a completely packed schedule and late nights to a few hours of work a day and considerably more free time. While it is tempting to spend the whole summer working, relaxing, and hanging out with friends, I encourage you take advantage of the various opportunities that summer offers for you to further prepare you to be a music educator. Below are a few ways to spend some of that extra free time.
MUSIC EDUCATION WEEK
MENC is holding their annual Music Education Week in Washington, DC on June 24-29. The Collegiate MENC Leadership Academy, an academy geared towards college students studying music, is offered on June 26. Be sure to register by May 28th to receive discount pricing!
HELP WITH LOCAL BANDS
Another great way to get some educational experience over the summer is to work with bands in your area. I’m not sure there is a band director out there who would mind having a music education student work with their band for a summer (if you’re lucky, it might even include a paycheck). Not only does this look great on a resume, but it also offers amazing educational benefits. This is a chance for you to interact with students and get some teaching experience, whether it be one-on-one, with a sectional, or with the entire band.
STAY MUSICALLY ACTIVE
I know it’s tempting to let your instrument sit there and collect dust for the majority of the summer, but don’t. Keeping up with your practice routine will allow you to avoid losing your chops and will keep your mind musically sharp. This doesn’t mean that you have to spend 5 hours a day practicing – just enough to keep in shape. In addition, you could find an ensemble to play or sing with during the summer. Performing well is very dependent on knowing what good music sounds like. So take advantage of some of your free time and go see one of the great symphonies or other professional groups in your area. Check out even more ways to stay musically active at MusicEdMajor.Net (5 Low-Stress Ways to Stay Musically Active Over the Summer and 4 MORE Ways to Stay Active Over the Summer.
In addition to everything above, remember to take some time for yourself. While everything above is important to participate in, it is always important to take a break as to not get burned out.
Have other learning opportunities or tips future music educators? Let us know by leaving a comment!
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Andrew Ritenour is a junior Music Education major at Grove City College in Grove City, PA. He is actively involved in many performing ensembles including brass quintets, concert bands, marching bands, and choirs. Andy plays Tuba and Euphonium and is the Brass/Marching Instructor for the Somerset Area HS Marching Band. You can find him on twitter at @andrewritenour. 