2026 MMEA Fall In-Service Conference

What does music “express” and how do instrumental musicians convey emotions without words? Music educators will discuss which performance techniques contribute to an expressive performance, such as phrasing, and will brainstorm pedagogical strategies to cultivate students’ ability to communicate musically. Suggestions will be made regarding the integration and clarification of expressive metaphors, verbal imagery, aural models, and direct instruction.

Ensemble playing gives students a unique and powerful people-connecting experience. Learn rehearsal techniques to build students’ habits and skills so they can better discern and adjust as they interact with the ensemble, the music, and the conductor. By fostering these habits among students, the ensemble's camaraderie and performance will improve, thus greatly enhancing and enriching the overall experience for all. This session builds on the Ensemble Skills section of the new ASTA String Curriculum. Habit development, especially regarding watching the conductor, is based on the book “Tiny Habits” by BJ Fogg. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own scores.

Join us for a deep-dive on all things cello! This session will focus on posture, left and right hand technique, bow control, shifting, and more. Whether you've taught strings for years or are new to the orchestra world, there's something for everyone! Bring a cello to participate in play-along portions of this presentation.

Using technology in your orchestra rehearsals will help improve your students’ playing skills and make your rehearsals more effective, efficient, and engaging. The use of technology is ongoing in many music classes and rehearsals, and teachers must keep pace. This session is a technology “smorgasbord”;a sampler of many technology “morsels”. The technology sampler will contain morsels in these areas: 1) hardware, 2) computer applications, 3) apps for devices, and 4) some websites (time-dependent). Some of these apps are general usage apps that can be applied successfully in rehearsals.