Monday Notes - July 28, 2025

Welcome back! I hope you had a great summer break and you are ready for a fantastic school year. As we hit the ground running, there are a lot of reminders and information to share with you. Please review the following information and watch for the weekly "Monday Notes". Here is to a great school year!

Dear NMMEA Friends,

I wanted to share some personal news with you. This week, I let the NMMEA Board of Directors know that I plan to step down as Executive Director at the end of the 2026 fiscal year (July 2026). It's a bittersweet decision, because this organization, and all of you, have meant so much to me.

Some of the most rewarding moments in my career have come from serving NMMEA as Band Vice President, President, Past President, and now Executive Director. It’s truly been an honor to represent New Mexico as part of NAfME. Through my time in these roles and especially serving as NAfME Chair of the Council of State Executives, I’ve come to appreciate just how strong and forward-thinking NMMEA is. That’s a testament to the many years of dedicated leadership before me, and I know that tradition will continue long after I step aside.

To each of you: thank you. Thank you for the collaboration, the conversations, the music, and the friendships. While I’ll be stepping back from the Executive Director role, I plan to stay involved in other ways, and I look forward to continuing to support you and your students as you create incredible music across our state.

I’m confident that the next Executive Director will carry this work forward with fresh energy and vision. If you’re interested in stepping into that role, I encourage you to apply using this short form which will be reviewed by the Board of Directors:

Selection Timeline:

• July 10, 2025 – Applications open
• August 10, 2025 – Applications close
• August 20, 2025 – Incoming Executive Director announced; shadow year begins
• July 15, 2026 – New Executive Director officially takes over

Once the new Executive Director is selected, I’ll work closely with the Board and my successor to adjust and reassign duties as needed to make sure the role is sustainable and well-supported.

Thank you again for making these years so enjoyable and meaningful. Wishing you a great year ahead - full of growth, connection, and beautiful music!

Warmly,
Neil

As we continue working to improve the All-State audition experience for students, teachers, and adjudicators, we’re implementing several important updates to the audition process this year. These changes are designed to reduce technical challenges, give teachers more flexibility, and improve audio quality for submissions—all while preserving the benefits of the OPUS system. The new protocol allows for pre-recorded audition components (excluding sight reading), letting students and teachers use their preferred recording devices and timelines. Below is a full outline of what’s changing, how it will work, and why we believe these adjustments will help create a more efficient, fair, and accessible process for everyone involved.

• Fall 2025 audition process

Please plan to attend our Fall Townhall (Zoom) on Sept. 17, 2025 at 6pm for more tips & tricks and to ask questions regarding the new process.

• Townhall link

Start the year off right and make your life easier down the road. During the first week, request POs from the business office for all of your district and state events! Once you have the PO, please send a scan to either the Executive Director or to your district treasurer.

• Link to NMMEA fees
• Link to auto quote generator

Congratulations to the 2026 NMMEA Award Recipients! Make plans now to join us at the Business & Awards Luncheon in January to recognize their contributions to music education.

Daniel Holmes

Educator of the year

Cat Woo

John Batcheller Award for Elementary Education

Evan Aguilar

New & Emerging Teacher of the Year

Dustin Seifert

Daniel Fear

Donna Schmidt

Hall of Fame

Bruce Dalby

Emeritus Teacher of the Year

New Mexico Activities Association

Rollie Heltman Exemplary Service Award

Brian Luck, Roswell Independent School District

Administrator of the Year

Albuquerque Public Schools

Award of Distinction

Rio Rancho Public Schools

Certificate of Recognition

The NMMEA Board of Directors has established an Advocacy Committee chaired by Daniel Fear. The scope of the committee can be viewed here.

If you are interested in serving on this committee, please submit your name here.

Congratulations to the many wonderful ensembles that submitted an application to be considered as a 2026 Honor Ensemble. We are excited to announce the following 2026 Honor Ensembles:

Alternative Ensemble

NMSA Percussion Ensemble

New Mexico School for The Arts, Santa Fe

Jesse Parker, Conductor

Band

Highland Middle School Symphonic Band

Highland Middle School, Hobbs

Roxy Sanchez, Conductor

Choir

Centennial High School Chamber Choir

Centennial High School, Las Cruces

Jeonai Batista, Conductor

General Music

Lovington Elementary Honor Choir

Yarbro Elementary, Lovington

Linda Cauthen, Director

Jazz

Los Alamos High School Jazz 1

Los Alamos High School, Los Alamos

Steve Iliff, Directors

Orchestra

Centennial High School Orchestra

Centennial High School, Las Cruces

Hyerim Mapp, Conductor