NCMEA Members – Let’s make something “trendy!”
Have you seen those videos on IG or Tiktok that say “I’m a ……so of course I…..?” Well, we challenge you to make one! You can share it on social media, and hashtag #MIOSM2024 and tag @ncmea – or email your video to Lindsay Williams. Props if you create a video that says “It’s Music In Our Schools Month, so of course I’m…….!“
Look for videos from our MIOSM Committee members this month! Any questions, or need help? Email Lindsay! We are looking forward to your videos!
#MIOSM2024 | #MusicIsMe
For nearly 40 years, March has been officially designated by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) for the observance of Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®), the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation.
The purpose of MIOSM is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children – and to remind citizens that school is where all children should have access to music. MIOSM is an opportunity for music teachers to bring their music programs to the attention of the school and the community, and to display the benefits that school music brings to students of all ages.
MIOSM and the events surrounding it are the ideal opportunities for increasing awareness of the benefits of high-quality music education programs in our nation’s schools. NAfME hopes that teachers, students, and music supporters alike will find ways to join the celebration through creative activities and advocacy.
You are encouraged to check out the resources available on NAfME’s Music In Our Schools Month® page. They have ideas that can help you focus your lessons for March, but you are certainly not limited to these ideas.
Please be in touch if you have any questions. We’re looking forward to a great month ahead!
MIOSM Co-Chairs
Tonya Allison | [email protected]
Lindsay Williams | [email protected]
Explore New Music by North Carolina Composers
In 2023, the NC Concert Band Music Consortium, spearheaded by Danny Green and the Wachovia Winds Youth Wind Ensemble, commissioned works by seven North Carolina composers as a gift to band programs in North Carolina. The works span each graded level of music and each one reflects something positive about our state. They were premiered at various venues in May and June of 2023.
The Music In Our Schools Month committee hopes you will take a look at these pieces and add them to your programs!
Grade 1
Mekel Rogers (Monroe, NC) – “The Pirates of Ocracoke”
The Pirates of Ocracoke depicts the defeat of the infamous pirate Blackbeard in 1718 by naval officer Lieutenant Robert Maynard. The morning of the battle, the sighting of the ship, the maneuvering of the ships, the rough waters, the ambush of and ultimate defeat of Blackbeard.
Grade 2
Ed Kiefer (High Point, NC) – “On the Rocky Road to Dublin”
A traditional Irish Jig, in 9/8, expressing the thoughts of Irish immigrants in the mountains of North Carolina during times of severe misfortune.
Grade 3
Joseph Earp (Born in NC) – “HURRAH!”
“HURRAH!” was inspired by North Carolina’s state song, “The Old North State.” “Carolina! Carolina! Heaven’s blessings attend her! While we live we will cherish, protect and defend her.”
Grade 4
Terrell Cordice (Greenville, NC) – “For a Nickel”
An adaptation of the 1939 (when a Pepsi was a nickel) Pepsi Cola jingle “Pepsi Cola Hits the Spot,” which itself used the melody from the folk song “D’ye ken John Peel.” The composer’s stepfather was a Pepsi Cola employee and used to pick up the composer from his high school marching band practices in his huge Pepsi Cola truck..
Grade 5
Brittany J. Green (Durham, NC) – “To Feel the Winds of Heaven”
To Feel the Winds of Heaven was inspired by the marvels of aviation and the first controlled airflight that took place in Kitty Hawk. The piece opens with a fanfare, emulating the excitement leading up to the flight. Driving eighth notes in the brass representative of the thrill of the takeoff roll enter, ushering the piece into the vibrant and soaring B section. As the piece ends, the opening fanfare returns for a safe landing and electrifying end.
Grade 6
Bruce Tippette (Winston-Salem, NC) – “To the Mountaintop”
“I decided that rather than use a famous melody or style of music with roots in North Carolina, I would create something connected to me, personally, and why I love the state I have always called home. And if I could choose anywhere to be in North Carolina, it would be the mountains. My piece, ‘To the Mountaintop,’ is the aural representation of what I see and feel when I visit the wonder and beauty of our mountains in North Carolina.“
Special Composition for Young Band Students
Steven Bryant (Durham, NC) – “Aloft”
Aloft evokes the relentless pursuit of powered flight by the Wright Brothers at Kill Devil Hills, as well as the broader sense of persistence and elation during any creative act.
