Abstract
Photo of Mackie V. Spradley by Steve Noreyko.
Hello, everyone!
The first semester is over, and believe it or not, 2022 is right around the corner. Just think—it was only a few months ago that we conducted the National Leadership Assembly, and unlike previous years, we gathered as a collaborative learning community to concretize a shared understanding of our identity, purpose, and goals. This was the culminating event to capture the thoughts of the Collegiate members, in-service teachers, and leaders shaping the future direction of the Association. We spent the time building a framework for the next NAfME Strategic Plan. In the learning space, groups engaged in debate and asked many probing questions. We bolstered the framework based on what we have learned over the last couple of years. The information we considered included key findings from the NAfME Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access Current-State Study (https://nafme.org/dei-study-faq/) conducted by Cook Ross; six Fall Division meetings; Town Halls, including one focused on Collegiates; and a survey of the general membership regarding budgetary priorities of the Association.
I believe we are in the midst of one of the most amazing times in our 114-plus-year history. The journey ahead will require much, much more than intellectual understanding: It will require that we have a “heart” connection to what we see ahead for our national organization, Federated Music Education Associations (MEAs), local districts, schools, programs, and students.
As we move forward to embrace all that we can become, every step we take will require courage, tenacity, a clear sense of purpose, and a shared vision of our mission and goals. Most importantly, our work begins with the heart. It is what’s personal and internal to each of us that evokes passion and emotions. Music education reflects the heart connection. As such, when we discuss music education and try to imagine and transform ourselves, the heart is still the compass for how we individually engage in this work.
Transformation requires that we become more active in our own learning. We are responsible for building on the knowledge we acquire and developing skills to establish personal agency. We are a creative community, but sometimes we rely too heavily on what has always been instead of choosing to close one door so that we can open a new one with even greater possibilities.
We desire to see each state MEA succeed and be in good financial health. We work better together rather than in siloed communities. Collaboration, however, does not diminish the responsibility of the individual. Instead, collaboration elevates the importance of everyone’s unique contribution to the work of the whole. I still believe that one of the gifts we gained over the last year is the gift of working together. Collaboration is an asset to everyone involved.
Our success from this day forward will depend on our individual work as well as our collaborative work. We are individually and collectively capable of transforming ourselves and our Association for the benefit of our students and the future of music education. I believe we have the capacity to fulfill our goals, and I believe that we will succeed!