Monday Notes - March 2, 2026
February 23rd, 2026
March is here and with it a busy time for concerts, performances, and yes...spring break! Here is to a great month. Please find a few reminder below to help you navigate the month.
Take Music to the School Board
It is Music In Our Schools Month! One meaningful way to celebrate is by engaging with your local school board:
- Share a brief “good news” update about your program
- Invite students to perform at a board meeting
- Highlight student growth, community partnerships, or recent honors
- Express appreciation for district leadership and support
Email nmmeaadvocacy@nmmea.com for support or to share your story with us! Follow this link for more information!
Jobs - Spread the word!
Music teaching positions are starting to be posted on the NMMEA job board for the upcoming school year. If you know educators who are looking for new opportunities, please share the link and help us get the word out. Together, we can make sure every program is fully staffed and every position is filled.
All-State Recordings
Please remind students to order a video or audio recording of the 2026 All-State Music Festival concerts. Follow this link to access the order form.
Important Dates
Please check your calendars to make sure you have the following state dates:
- April 14-15, 2026 - State Choir Contest
- April 16-18, 2026 - State Concert Band Contest
- October 24, 2026 - State Marching Contest
- January 6-9, 2027 - All-State Music Festival & In-Service Conference (UNM)
- January 21-23, 2027 - Jazz All-State (NMSU)
Survey - Rural Music Education
If you teach in a rural area (which most do), please consider taking this survey to provide research data on rural music education.
Music Performance Assessment
MPA season is here! I hope that your preparations are going well and you are looking forward to sharing the results of your hard work. MPA rubrics can be found on this page of the website.
District Presidents and Vice Presidents, don't forget to send me MPA results entered into the reporting document (found here). Please do this immediately after the completion of the event.
Honor Ensemble Submission
Consider submitting a recording of your ensemble for consideration as a 2026 Honor Ensemble. All directors are welcome to apply, but the preferred rotation for the 2026 conference is outlined below:
- Alternative/Guitar - No rotation
- Choir & Orchestra - Small school preference
- Band - Large school preference
- General Music - No rotation
- Jazz - Large school
Application and more information can be found here.