Florida Music Educators Association

Infobox Union
name= Florida Music Educators Association (FMEA)
country= United States
affiliation= MENC: The National Association for Music Education
members=


founded= 1944
office= Tallahassee, Florida, USA
people= James Perry, Executive Director
website= [http://www.flmusiced.org/ www.flmusiced.org/]
full_name=
native_name=
current=
head=
dissolved_date=
dissolved_state= Merged into
merged_into=
footnotes=

The Florida Music Educators Association, or FMEA, is a not-for-profit, professional association that serves and supports music educators across Florida. FMEA promotes and publishes the Florida Music Director as well as music education research, organizes in-service programs, and broadens teachers’ knowledge and interest in their profession through affiliation with colleagues. Membership in FMEA is open to music instructors from Pre-K level through college, including music supervisors.

Mission

The mission of the Florida Music Educators Association is to promote quality, comprehensive music education for all Florida Students as a part of their complete education.

Organization

FMEA is a federated state unit of MENC: The National Association for Music Education that requires concurrent membership. It is composed of several component and affiliate organizations. FMEA is itself an umbrella organization and is concerned with activities the affect all music education. Activities that deal specifically with a particular area are handled by component organizations.

Currently, the six component organizations are:
* The [http://www.flmusiced.org/fba Florida Bandmasters Association] (FBA) whose chief purpose is to promote, expand and improve the band programs in Florida Schools and professional growth for band directors;
* The [http://www.flmusiced.org/FCMEA/FCMEAIndex.htm Florida College Music Educators Association] (FCMEA) addresses the concerns unique to music programs in colleges, universities and community colleges.
* The [http://www.flmusiced.org/FCMENC/ Florida Collegiate MENC] (FCMENC) is made up of our future music educators and seeks to improve opportunities and experiences for college students before they become practicing educators.
* The [http://www.flmusiced.org/FEMEA/FEMEA_INDEX.htm Florida Elementary Music Educators Association] (FEMEA) whose purpose is to unite and strengthen the professional standing of all elementary music teachers in order to encourage more effective teaching of music;
* The [http://www.flmusiced.org/FMSA/FMSAIndex.htm Florida Music Supervision Association] (FMSA) deals directly with curriculum standards, facilities, and programs from the perspective of county level administrations;
* The [http://www.myfoa.org/ Florida Orchestra Association] (FOA) with programs and activities geared specifically toward orchestras and string programs and the professional growth of orchestra directors and string teachers;
* The Florida Vocal Association (FVA) whose purpose is to promote and develop interest in vocal and general music, the improvement of school choral groups in Florida's secondary schools, and the professional growth of choral directors.

History

The Florida Music Educators Association was founded in 1944. It was an association of White music teachers and music directors teaching in the schools of Florida. The Florida State Music Educators Association was founded in parallel fashion in 1951. It was an association of Black music teachers and music directors teaching in the schools of Florida.

Both of these associations were the result of combining the membership of existing associations, which became component groups of the respective Music Educators Associations. For example, the Florida Bandmasters Association was founded in 1936. In parallel fashion, the Florida Association of Band Directors, a Black association, was founded in 1940. The first Florida School Vocal Clinic had been held in 1938. In the academic year 1966-67, the two separate music associations, FMEA and FSMEA, merged into a single association under the name Florida Music Educators Association. Any detailed history, for the period prior to 1966, of the Florida Music Educators Association, therefore is also the history of the Florida State Music Educators Association.

The detailed history of FMEA is contained in the serial issues over a period of more than 40 years of theFlorida Music Director magazine. History is also found in several theses and dissertations on variousphases of the work of the association.

Publications

* The [http://www.flmusiced.org/fmd Florida Music Director] is the official state magazine of the FMEA and is published eight times each year, in August, September, October, November, December, Feb/March, April, and May. It contains feature articles, news items, and regular columns by the FMEA and component leadership. A subscription to the magazine is included in membership dues.
* Research Perspectives in Music Education is compiled FMEA Research Committee Chair and the Florida College Music Educators Association. It is published by FMEA as research articles are available, but usually annually. It is also is available on-line at www.flmusiced.org under resources & links. This journal gives researchers an opportunity to publish their findings and provides research information to music teachers who are not regularly involved in research activities.
* FMEA also publishes, as needed, position papers on topics affecting music and education, major research papers, and brochures on membership, awards programs, and FMEA's Legislative Program.

Annual In-Service Clinic/Conference

The FMEA Annual In-Service Clinic/Conference is the highlight of the year for many members and has become one of the largest state music educators’ conventions in the nation. It is one of the most visible activities of FMEA and has the distinction of being the only activity mandated in FMEA's constitution. It has traditionally been held in early January, generally on the first or second weekend of the month. The conference is held annually at the Tampa Convention Center in Downtown Tampa.

The guiding purpose of the Clinic/Conference is the advancement of music education in Florida and the professional development of music teachers. At the conference, music educators have the opportunity to observe master clinicians at work. FMEA and its components conduct a variety of workshops and clinics to improve teachers' skills, inform them of the latest materials available, and inform and motivate music educators to actively participate in the many public and political activities that affect music education.

The large number of exhibits presented at the clinic/conference provides immediate and firsthand access to the many suppliers of music, instruments, and activities, fund raising opportunities, college and university programs and other related areas.

Florida All-State Performing Groups

A facet of FMEA's Annual In-Service Clinic/Conference is the student All-State performing groups. These are designed to give students experiences in working with nationally known clinicians, performing in a group of the best student musicians in the state, and experiencing literature that they might not have available in their own school.

Bands:
* 11-12 Grade All-State Symphonic Band
* 9-10 Grade All-State Concert Band
* 7-8 Grade All-State Symphonic Band
* 7-8 Grade Honors Band
* Small Schools Honors Band
* All-State Jazz Band
* All-State Intercollegiate Band (even-numbered years)

Choruses:
* 9-12 All-State Concert Chorus (SATB)
* 9-12 All-State Reading Chorus (SATB)
* 9-12 All-State Women’s Chorus (SSAA)
* 9-12 Mens’ Chorus (TTBB)
* 7-8 All-State Mixed Chorus (SATB)
* 7-8 All-State Treble Chorus (SSA)

Orchestras:
* 11-12 Grade All-State Symphony Orchestra
* 9-10 Grade All-State Concert Orchestra
* 7-8 Grade All-State Orchestra
* 7-8 Grade Honors Orchestra

All-State Elementary Chorus

Affiliate Organizations

Currently the affiliate organizations consist of the:
* Florida Association of Schools of Music
* [http://www.flacda.org Florida Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association]
* American String Teachers Association
* Florida Unit of the [International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE)]
* American Orff Schulwerk Association
* [http://www.faae.org Arts for a Complete Education/Florida Alliance of Arts Education]

History of Music Performance Assessments (MPAs)

Florida Music Competition Festivals, as they were originally known, had their beginnings in Tampa about 1927 when the Tampa Chamber of Commerce under the direction of A.Y. Dickenson began to host them and supply adjudicators from around the nation. Instrumental and vocal contests were also held and solos and ensembles were part of the program. These continued until the formation of the Florida Bandmasters Association and the Florida Vocal Association in the mid-1930's.

The formation of these two organizations, followed by the formation of the Florida Orchestra Association, led to the development of contests, Evaluation-Festivals and philosophies that still influence Music Performance Assessments (MPAs) as they are operated today, under the oversight of the Florida School Music Association. The following statements are indicative of the thinking presented in the early years:

* Contests should improve the total program. Concert performance, sight-reading and marching (for bands), as well as solo and ensemble and special unit performance should be integral parts of the contest.
* Membership in the component organization was by individual, not by school, with individual directors to be held responsible for upholding rules and regulations of the contest.
* Grading would be by divisions (three at that time -- later changed to five). Use of the term first place or champion was not to be allowed.

Growth of the school music program and interest in contests led to the development of districts in 1947. Originally there were six districts and participation in the district contest, plus earning a First Division or Superior, was necessary to qualify for participation in the state contest. During these years the Florida Bandmasters Association and the Florida Vocal Association each operated the contests within their respective fields. The Orchestra contest was for the most part held in conjunction with the Band contest.

Continued development of the school music program in Florida mandates a continual redistricting process in bands and choruses. At the present time there are more than double the numbers of the original six districts. Orchestras have been separated from the band and the Florida Orchestra Association operates festivals of its own. Participation in state band and vocal festivals grew continually until they were too large for one site and the state was divided geographically to accommodate them.

In the early 1950's the Florida High School Athletic Association expanded to become the Florida High School Activities Association and assumed supervision of many non-athletic school activities including music festivals and related events. The respective components of FMEA still set standards and rules for participation in festivals. Tremendous growth and changing times have brought about refinements and changes in procedures, but have not altered the basic philosophy developed in the 1930's.

After 1997, extracurricular music activities came under the supervision of the Florida School Music Association. Rules and Regulations for Interscholastic Music Activities are published by FSMA annually and may be obtained from the [http://www.flmusiced.org FMEA/FSMA website] .

External links

* [http://www.flmusiced.org/ FMEA Official Website]
* [http://www.flmusiced.org/fba FBA Official Website]
* [http://www.flmusiced.org/FEMEA/FEMEA_INDEX.htm FEMEA Official Website]
* [http://www.myfoa.org/ FOA Official Website]
* [http://www.fva.net/ FVA Official Website]