2021 Eastern Division Conference Update
The 2021 Eastern Division Conference and All Eastern Honors Ensembles will be held as a virtual event which will run from Thursday 04/22/2021- Saturday 04/24/2021. The event will be open to all NAfME members. Please see the attachment below for more information.
NHMEA Spring Conference Update
The NHMEA 2021 Spring Conference, scheduled for 4/17/21, will not consist of a professional development component. Instead please consider attending the NAfME Eastern Division Conference scheduled for 04/22/21-04/24/21. The NHMEA is actively involved with the planning and orchestration of the Eastern Division conference and is encouraging our members to attend this event.
The 2021 NHMEA Classical All State Festival will still be held from 04/15/21-04/17/21. The NHMEA spring all member meeting will also remain on the calendar for Saturday 04/17/21.
Call for Session Proposals: Eastern Division Conference
Session proposals for the 2021 Eastern Division Conference can be submitted until Friday 01/15/2021. More information can be found here: https://bit.ly/ED21SessionProposals
NAfME Division Elections
Please take a moment to vote in the upcoming NAfME Division elections. More information and biographies for the candidates can be found here: https://nafme.org/about/2021-nafme-division-president-elect-candidates/
Candidate Needed- NHMEA Jazz Ed Council Chairperson
NHMEA is still looking to fill the position of Council for Jazz Education Chairperson to begin on July 1, 2021. Please email Heidi Welch at hjwelch13@gmail.com if you, or anyone you know, is interested.
NHMEA Educator & Administrator of the Year, Hall of Fame Nominations Open
The deadline for Educator of the Year, Administrator of the Year, and NHMEA Hall of Fame nominees is Feb 1, 2021. Please consider nominating those going above and beyond! Nomination forms can be found at nhmea.org -> Resources -> Awards. Contact Christie lake at clake@mansd.org with any questions.
NHMEA Solo & Ensemble Festival Update
The 2021 Solo and Ensemble Festival will be held virtually to give students a safe way to share and be adjudicated. Students will submit video recordings through Opus Events, similar to how auditions worked this fall. The entry fee for each submission is $20 per piece, regardless of whether it is a solo or ensemble. Registration for this event will be accepted January 13-30, 2021. The deadline for all video submissions will be February 4th and results will be sent to teachers February 18th.
NHMEA Large Group Festival Update
NHMEA is excited to announce that the annual Large Group Festival will again take place this year as it has continuously since the 1950’s (with the exception of last year). While it will look and feel a little different then it has in previous years, we hope to provide the same valuable insight and feedback that the young musicians and music educators in our state have come to expect from this event.
What will stay the same:
- All participants are expected to follow the same rules, regulations and expectations in regards to repertoire selection and performances as they would in a normal year.
- Groups will have the choice of participating for a rating (1,2,3 or 4) or participating for comments/feedback only.
- All groups will perform 3 selections.
- If a group chooses to participate for a rating, they will need to choose 1 selection from one the approved repertoire lists (found at nhmea.org).
- Groups participating for a rating will adhere to the same rubrics that have been used in the past.
- All groups will be given feedback and insight from 3 highly qualified adjudicators.
Changes to the 2020-2021 Festival
- There will be no live performances this year. All participants need to submit a recording of their group performing their 3 selections. This recording can be an audio recording, video recording or both.
- Details regarding submission of performances will be sent once registration has been completed.
- Registration fees for this year only have been reduced to $75.00 per ensemble.
- The submission window will be open on April 1st, 2021 and will close on May 1st, 2021.
- Results will be sent out within two weeks of the submission window closing (May 15th).
- There will be no clinic portion of the festival this year. However judges will be encouraged to take more time and consideration into their comments and feedback.
Composition Contest
Calling All Composers!
The submission deadline for this year’s NHMEA Composition Contest is February 5th, 2021. Click Here for details, questions can be emailed to compositions@nhmea.org.
Calling all General Music Teachers:
NHMEA will be hosting an informal virtual sharing session for general music teachers to share materials, resources, and problems and solutions of navigating the current teaching climate. Topics include teaching remotely, hybrid instruction, and in-person general music teaching in the time of Covid. The sharing session will take place On Monday, February 22nd, at 7 pm, at the following link: https://keene.zoom.us/j/83739118572
DOE Update: FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR COVID RELATED EXPENSES
NH receives $156m for education
US DOE allocates ESSER Funds to states
CONCORD- The New Hampshire Department of Education announced today that the Granite State has received an additional $156 million in federal education funds from the U.S. Department of Education.
New Hampshire schools are slated to receive an additional $156,065,807 in ESSER II through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021, Public Law 116-260, which provides an additional $54.3 billion for an ESSER II Fund. This new funding, which is substantially higher than the initial awards received last spring, is intended to help school districts in their continuing response to COVID, including safely reopening schools, assessing student learning, and other actions to mitigate the impact of COVID19 on the students and families.
“COVID-19 has been the most disruptive event in the history of New Hampshire education, forcing us to adopt new methods of instruction and work even harder to meet the needs of our most vulnerable students,” said New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut. “These funds will provide additional resources to close the gaps that this pandemic has widened.”
The state ESSER Fund state distributions and an ESSER Fund Fact Sheet are attached. The department is developing school level allocations which will be released as soon as they are available.
