Abstract
As I begin writing this editorial, I am reflecting on the past year, the great strides we made in our field as music educators, and the challenges we endured. What will 2023 bring?
As editor for the Journal of General Music Education (JGME), I have seen my own challenges with compiling articles and columns that are creative, reflective of our times and provide rich ideas for our field. I have also seen the great strides we have made as a team, building our editorial committee to include not just those in higher education, but reviewers who are in the classroom every day and across our world (not just in the United States). It is a unique aspect of our journal.
I also reflected on the Musical Ideas Series—a series I established a couple years ago and one that invites submissions for not just one publication, but three. In the past year alone, I have seen nearly six different submissions for the Musical Ideas Series—which demonstrates not just interest in general music education, but interest in publishing across topics. I want to share this because I invite you to submit ideas for the series, or simply reach out to me so we can brainstorm together. The series we have had in the past include topics on Scott Joplin, Secondary General Music, and Part-work, with new submissions focusing on Cultural Music Practices and introducing Research-based Strategies into the general music classroom.
I am proud of this work and the direction our journal has taken over the past 2 years—more inclusive and diverse editorial committee members and columnists, a change in our cover art, our submission process, mission and of course, our title from General Music Today, to the Journal of General Music Education.
Our changes this past year also include our editorial committee members. Virginia Davis and Kendra Kay Friar were both editorial committee members when I took over as editor of the journal several years ago. We knew each other through our shared work in the field but only as such. I am now proud and honored to not only call them collaborators in multiple projects, but dear, dear friends. In the years I have served as editor, Virginia and KK’s feedback has been instrumental in shaping many, many articles. The detail and care that they placed into every review helped to guide and shape an author’s perspective into a published manuscript. For their service to the journal—and their friendship—I am eternally grateful.
We also put in an open call to fill the two, empty positions. I am thrilled to announce that Sarah Watts and Jennifer Mellizo will be joining us at JGME—serving from 2022 to 2028. Please join me in congratulating them to our Editorial Committee!
Our columnists are also a central part of the journal. We have columns on social-emotional learning, social justice, special education, technology and connecting with the National standards. Each columnist publishes three times a year (one in each issue of the journal). I am always looking for new ideas—either for the Musical Ideas series, a stand-alone manuscript, or for a column. If you are interested in any of these opportunities, or writing as a columnist, please reach out to me at
I wish you all a joyous, wonderful, healthy, and musical 2023.