Monday Notes

As we head into summer break, this will be the final Monday Notes of the year, and my final edition as well. As many of you know, I will be retiring as Executive Director of NMMEA at the end of July.

Serving in this role has been one of the great honors of my career. I have had the privilege of meeting music educators from every corner of New Mexico, and I have been continually inspired by your dedication, your creativity, and your deep commitment to students. I am grateful that you trusted me to serve in our music community.

I am proud of what we have accomplished together. NMMEA is strong. Our membership is healthy, our finances are sound, and our events continue to serve teachers and students in meaningful ways. Those things matter, and they are worth celebrating.

But what I will carry with me most are the people. The conversations, the friendships, the shared problem-solving, the laughter, and the countless reminders of why music education matters. NMMEA is special because of the educators who give so much of themselves: to their students, to their programs, to one another, and to this profession.

It has been a joy to be part of this community.

As I step away from this position, please know that I will continue to support NMMEA and music education in New Mexico however I can, though I am very much looking forward to not chasing purchase orders anymore!

Thank you for allowing me to serve this organization. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity, and I wish each of you the very best.

Neil

For those of you who know me well, I can't say goodbye without a laundry list of reminders! Please review the information below to ensure a great summer, smooth transition, and an easy start to the fall semester.

Make sure to mark your calendars with these important dates for the 2026-2027 school year.

• Choir, Guitar, & Orchestra All-State Auditions - October 15 - 24, 2026
• State Marching Contest - October 24, 2026
• Band & Jazz All-State Auditions - October 28 - November 7, 2026
• All State Music Festival & In-Service Conference - January 6-9, 2027
• Jazz All-State - January 21-23, 2027
• State Choir Contest - April 13 & 14, 2027
• State Band Contest - April 15, 16 & 17, 2027

Make sure to follow the link below to secure the choral learning tracks. Remember that these tracks are the exact ones that are needed for auditions.

• Learning tracks

NMMEA is moving! Please work with your business office to update our mailing address and vendor information. Reach out to Daniel Fear (danielfear@nmmea.com) for an updated W-9.

NMMEA

3702 Fairfax Ave

Farmington, NM 87402

It's that time of year again! Make sure to share the NMMEA job board far and wide to ensure that all of our open positions are filled. Share this link with friends and contacts across the county!

Have an open position in your district or school? Jobs can be submitted directly to the job board for posting.

More archived editions of the NM Musician have been found and linked to the NMMEA archive page. Even more editions to browse, learn from, and enjoy!