2025 Maine Music Educators Association Conference

I will share an overview of a successful year in 5th grade Band including instrument suitability testing for 4th graders, how to run your instrument rental day, effective letters to parents, parent open house, how to curb the quit wave, scheduling ideas and effective rehearsal techniques for 5th grade full band. I want to share things that have worked best through 38 years of trial and error, listening to the experts and honing my skills.

In need of new cymbals or drumheads? Why do my two drummers sound totally different on the set? My brushes don't make any sound on my snare!
There will be over 12 ride/crash/hi-hat cymbals on hand to hear and play yourself..... Over a dozen pairs of drumsticks and mallets.... over 4 different drumheads to hear..... I will explain, play and compare each of those items as well as talk about proper technique to get the best tone out of each cymbal, stick and drum.

Maybe it's been a while since your percussion methods course, or you just want a refresher/different perspective on foundational techniques. We’ll revisit essential snare drum skills and focus on the often-overlooked instruments in your percussion section. Whether you're working with auxiliary percussion or other instruments that don't always get the spotlight, you'll leave with a deeper understanding of how to integrate them effectively into your ensemble. This interactive session also invites your questions, ensuring you get personalized insights to take back to your practice or classroom.

We’ll dive into the art of percussion instrument selection, unraveling the nuances that make all the difference in your ensemble's sound. We'll cover everything from choosing the right drums and drumheads to selecting mallets that enhance your performance. You’ll also explore the subtleties of cymbals, triangles, tambourines, and other essential percussion instruments—learning how each choice impacts the overall timbre and musical expression. Whether you're seeking a brighter tone or a richer, warmer sound, you leave with resources providing knowledge to match the perfect instrument to your musical needs.

The 195th Maine Army National Guard Band offers many music ensembles including Concert Band, Marching/Ceremonial Band, Jazz Ensemble, Rock Band, and Brass Band. This session will give insight into what the 195th Army Band has to offer for musical opportunities. During this session, you will hear performances from our Rock Band, Brass Band, and Ceremonial Band. Please feel free to bring your instrument and play along with the 195th Army Band!

The bassoon is one of the most versatile instruments of the band and orchestra, yet it can be intimidating to directors and beginning students. The goal of this session is to provide band directors with the foundational knowledge needed to guide beginning bassoonists and encourage them to start students on the instrument or how to make the switch from another instrument. USM Osher School of Music artist-faculty Wren Saunders will provide a roadmap for success and demonstrate what every bassoonist and band director needs to know. Participants are encouraged, but not required, to bring their bassoons (BYOB) and reeds and engage in a hands-on demonstration.

Performance development and repertoire mastery are central aims within instrumental ensemble learning experiences. Although performing is a primary artistic process students engage with in instrumental ensembles, the National Core Arts Standards call on ensemble educators to also foster the artistic processes of creating, responding, and connecting to support comprehensive music learning experiences in ensemble rehearsal spaces. The challenge for ensemble teacher/directors is to carve out time and space for all the artistic processes while fulfilling the important obligation of meaningful performance development. This presentation will explore practical strategies that attend to each of the artistic processes in performance ensemble learning environments. Please join this session on comprehensive musicianship in instrumental ensembles to learn more about how this approach can have a positive impact on both individual and collective performance achievement.