Abstract
I want to begin this column by expressing my deep gratitude and appreciation for the amazing efforts by all the Society for Music Teacher Education members who contributed to a successful, meaningful, and enriching 2023 Symposium on Music Teacher Education. It was such a special, memorable event that allowed us to reconnect in person after a long 4-year hiatus. The conference featured cutting-edge research—both theoretical and practical—as well as deep work by the ASPAs (Area for Strategic Planning and Action) on all aspects of music teacher education, including curriculum, policy, professional development, recruitment, wellness, and the ongoing struggle for social justice.
Special recognition is due to our wonderful colleagues at the University of Utah School of Music, especially their Director, Kimberly Councill, and former faculty member, Jared Rawlings, who were superb hosts. By all accounts, Salt Lake City was an amazing location for our Symposium, and we are thankful to the local folks who welcomed us with open arms. I also want to thank my colleagues on the SMTE Executive Board, with special recognition due to Jay Dorfman, Communications Chair, and Daniel Hellman, Symposium Chair, who put in countless volunteer hours to make this meeting happen.
We had terrific, impactful presentations by our plenary speakers. In her Susan Wharton Conkling Keynote Address, Carla Shalaby challenged us to construct care-full, nonpunitive learning environments. On Friday, Dr. Nicole Robinson led us in an exploration of the intersections of our personal identities, with implications for our practice as music teacher educators. The Saturday panel on Divisive Concepts Laws, facilitated by Dr. Karen Salvador, shed light on the struggles of educators from multiple stakeholder perspectives. Finally, NAfME (National Association for Music Education) President-Elect, Dr. Deb Confredo, along with colleagues Dr. Carlos Abril and Dr. Cecil Adderley, shared the many compelling issues brought forth by the Music Teacher Profession Initiative. The presenters charged the profession with the task of instituting the significant, profound changes called for in the Blueprint document.
Looking forward to the 2025 Symposium, there are two important processes currently underway. First, there are four openings on the SMTE Executive Board: North Central Division Chair, Western Division Chair, Communications Chair, and Chair-Elect. The person elected to each of these positions will serve a 6-year term. Division Chairs represent their respective Divisions and work with State Chairs to bring policy concerns to the national level. The Communications Chair, among many other important duties, maintains the SMTE website, communicates important information to the membership, and oversees the proposal review process. The Chair-Elect will serve 2 years as Chair-Elect, 2 years as Chair, and 2 years as Immediate Past Chair. The Chair oversees all the operations of SMTE and the Symposium, represents SMTE at NAfME, and writes a column for the Journal of Music Teacher Education. The self-nomination process is now open. The SMTE Board will consider nominations and make recommendations for officer candidates to the NAfME National Executive Board as described in the SMTE Handbook and Bylaws. To self-nominate, please email a CV and a nomination statement (not to exceed 500 words) to both me (
Second, the SMTE Board aims to make a decision regarding the location of the 2025 Symposium by June 1, 2024. Our society is not in a position to select just any site—we rely on volunteers at the host site for facilities, planning, and logistics support. Therefore, while we seek to select Symposium locations that serve all our members and to avoid problematic, discriminatory laws, we can only make a selection from the locations that have been volunteered by our membership. We cannot invite ourselves, so please offer to host! We will adhere to our agreed-upon guidelines for site selection as described in our statement on Procedures and Values for Symposium Site Selection. The Board welcomes suggestions from SMTE members who can offer connections to local resources, as the SMTE Symposium depends on the strong support of a music teacher education program. SMTE is a small organization which relies solely on volunteer labor (we have no paid staff). We do not charge a separate membership fee, we do not engage with corporate sponsors, and we do not accept advertising. Therefore, to keep registration costs as low as possible, we depend on institutional, rather than commercial structures to plan and run the Symposium. We are open to considering any location for the 2025 venue, and we will evaluate all suggestions according to the abovementioned policy statement. If you would like to suggest a site and volunteer the support of your institution, please contact me at
The Society for Music Teacher Education is a thriving organization with a bright future, thanks to the support of its membership. I hope you will consider serving the Society by self-nominating for a leadership role and/or volunteering to serve as site host for the next Symposium. We are always seeking feedback to make our organization stronger, so please feel free to reach out to me or any of the other Executive Board members at any time. We are already looking forward to the 2025 Symposium with great anticipation—I hope you will make plans to join us.