2026 MMEA Fall In-Service Conference

Music educators juggle rehearsals, performances, parent meetings, and yes, even cafeteria duty. Advocacy can feel like one more task, but it doesn’t have to be. Learn how to build relationship capital through everyday interactions with colleagues, administrators, families, and community partners. Discover practical, time-efficient strategies to increase visibility, grow support, and celebrate success for all students. Attendees will leave with immediately usable steps to create lasting impact and strengthen support for their music program in any school setting.

Viral Content Creators Makynzie Barton and Kevin A. Lewis Sr. share background information of their use of social media and how it has positively impacted their professional settings. With a blend of culturally responsive teaching practices and relatable classroom struggles, attendees will get to engage with the creators, find quick useful tips for content and potentially take part in a viral moment during the session.

We all have felt the lasting effects of the COVID-19 lockdown, particularly the increase in disruptive and negative student behaviors in classrooms. Since the pandemic, music educators have reported both increased frequency and severity of disruptive behaviors while also feeling underprepared to address them effectively. As schools increasingly adopt Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), many music teachers are seeking practical ways to adapt these strategies to ensemble and general music settings. This session aligns with the Emerging Practices strand by exploring evidence-based approaches for implementing PBIS effectively in music classrooms. Participants will learn strategies to reduce disruptive behaviors, strengthen classroom management, and create positive, safe, and productive learning environments that support student engagement and musical growth.

This session will present an overview of the structure of the seven free response questions in the AP Music Theory Exam (Melodic Dictation, Harmonic Dictation, Part Writing and Soprano-Bass Counterpoint). Attendees will learn which concepts must be taught and strategies on applying these concepts to the individual questions on the exam. Data concerning common construction elements on these questions from prior AP exams will be shared with attendees.

Standard and non-standard accessory percussion instruments will serve as the focus of this interactive session, featuring programming, instruction, and active student participation through a variety of solo, chamber, and concert works. Participants will explore rehearsal and practice strategies designed to engage student musicians of all skill levels, building confidence and performance proficiency on these often-overlooked instruments.

Rehearsals often struggle to balance depth of learning with realities of limited time. This session explores microlearning as a learning design strategy that targets retention, transfer, and ensemble growth. Explore the cognitive science behind attention, knowledge transfer, and context switching, while evaluating the definition of a complete learning experience. Participants apply concepts through a guided activity that will give them a practical framework for implementing microlearning in their own classes.