2026 MMEA Fall In-Service Conference

This session helps early career and veteran music educators strengthen their impact on school culture and community engagement. Participants will explore building a structured band program that fosters collaboration, positive relationships, and alignment with school goals.Attendees will learn to design performances that reflect their school community and support students in feeling connected, valued, and safe, especially post-COVID.Key topics include social-emotional learning, expectations, discipline, parent engagement, classroom setup, and rehearsal routines. The session also highlights aligning program goals with the School Improvement Plan (SIP) and School Performance Plan (SPP) to boost recruitment, retention, and long-term success.

This session is designed for college attendees to meet music supervisors from around Maryland and interact with the supervisors and hear about effective interview and application strategies. Supervisors will share information with attendees about navigating the application process and effectively interviewing for a teaching position. Supervisors will talk with attendees about common interview questions, ways to promote themselves during the interview, and common mistakes to avoid. Attendees will also be able to ask questions.

So, you’ve decided to go to grad school… Now what? Gathering information from a variety of sources can help make you a stronger candidate. Three experienced music educators/performers with diverse musical backgrounds will collaborate to provide a comparison of M.M., M.S., D.M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in music education, conducting, and performance; practical advice on how to choose the degree program that best fits your career goals; considerations about when to go to graduate school; information about funding your education; and tips for making yourself marketable before and during the application process.