OCMEA News
OCMEA - Ohio News!
Youngstown State University and Miami Univeristy Win NAfME Chapters of Excellence!
June, 2025
In 2025, Youngstown State University won the Chapter of Excellence Award in Professional Development. Miami won the Chapter of Excellence Award in Recruitment. The Chapter of Excellence Recognition was developed to encourage chapters to plan and execute successful chapter advocacy, music program, professional development, recruitment strategy, and service projects. Miami University was able to attend the National CLAS to recieve their award in person!
OCMEA Member Amari Junkins Wins Personal Achievement Award and Shannon Kelly Kane Scholarship
June, 2025
The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) honored Allyson Horvath of the University of Indianapolis and Amari Junkins of Ohio Northern University as the recipients of the 2025 Shannon Kelly Kane Scholarship. Allyson and Amari were presented the scholarships during the June 2025 NAfME National Leadership Assembly and Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit. The Shannon Kelly Kane Scholarship was created by Shannon’s family and friends in coordination with NAfME to honor her exemplary life and her love of teaching music. The scholarship award is open to current NAfME Collegiate members, who have been nominated for NAfME Collegiate Professional Achievement Recognition.
“I can think of no better way to celebrate the legacy of Shannon Kelly Kane’s influence and reach than by applauding the accomplishments and promise of these two exceptional individuals,” stated NAfME President Deb Confredo. “On behalf of the National Executive Board, I am delighted to congratulate Allyson (Ally) Horvath (University of Indianapolis) and Amari Junkins (Ohio Northern University), the 2025 recipients of the Shannon Kelly Kane Scholarship. As a pre-service music educator, Ally has already developed a track record of service to the profession. Her devotion to teaching is evident and her passion for connecting arts education experiences underscores her belief in collaboration as a path toward growth. Amari stands as a magnificent model for other pre-service music educators in her action-oriented approach. She exemplifies unity and strength through her work as artist, educator, and advocate. The journey to the profession for these award recipients has already been high-powered and fruitful. We can’t wait to see what is next for them, and we are certain that the profession will be better off for their selfless efforts. Congratulations, Ally and Amari!”
Amari Junkins, in her third year at Ohio Northern University (ONU), has been the President for the ONU NAfME Collegiate chapter for the past two school years. She “is an exemplary leader, educator, academician, and musician,” shared Rebecca L. Casey, Associate Professor of Music at ONU and chapter advisor; Joan Robbins, Chair of Music for the ONU School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, Department of Performing Arts; and Kyler Lampton, Historian for the ONU NAfME Collegiate chapter in their nomination letter.
“As a future educator, Amari demonstrates remarkable skills and leadership and in musical skill/academics,” they continued. “She seeks out non-curricular opportunities to observe and teach by volunteering as a low brass instructor and giving free private lessons in Ada Schools. She also assists with their band camp, middle school sectionals, and Solo & Ensemble preparation. Additionally she has experience as a wind instructor and band camp counselor for Kenton High School. ⦠Amari also works as a substitute teacher in Allen County, subbing not only in music but in other areas as well to gain additional “hands-on” experience, especially in classroom management skills. She has taught instrumental lessons in several local school systems.”
Regarding her work with her NAfME Collegiate chapter at ONU, Casey added, “I am extraordinarily impressed with her skills and potential. She served very effectively for the past two years as President and has committed significant time and effort to help elevate the organization a directionless disorganized group in 2021–2022 to a much larger, more active, effective, and focused chapter. Membership has doubled since before her presidency.” Casey shared Amari’s work on updating the bylaws and improving communications with membership via the website and social media as well as participation in NAfME Collegiate Kickoff Week activities in the fall. “Amari and the Publicity Committee also posted content each day for MIOSM® [Music In Our Schools Month® in March].”
Amari’s work with recruiting potential music education majors is notable as well, including organizing an ambitious “Spend-A-Day with ONU Music” event attended by 26 prospective music majors from Ohio high schools during which they could, among other things, shadow music students to gain understanding of a “typical day in ONU Music.” She also “writes personalized handwritten notes to all students who audition at ONU and serves as a student liaison between ONU music and our prospective students” and has organized guest speaker events for the music student body, connecting ONU and other Ohio NAfME Collegiate chapters with the Ohio Music Education Association.
Amari “is ambitious, organized, communicative, forward-thinking, goal-oriented, entrepreneurial, and clear in her expectations for others,” continued Casey. “She delegates tasks effectively and respects others talent. She meets challenges head on with professionalism, efficiency, and a positive outlook. I am deeply impressed with her maturity, high level of involvement, and success, not only at the college level at ONU, but also statewide through her work with the State Board. I believe it will not be long until Amari is a highly influential, popular, and successful leader at the national level.”
Amari Junkins accepting Shannon Kelly Kane Scholarship from NAfME president Deb Confredo.
OCMEA Members Attend National Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit
June, 2025
The annual NAfME Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit (CLAS) is an exciting multiday event that brings together NAfME Collegiate members from all over the nation for leadership-centric learning sessions, advocacy training, and professional networking.
The event concludes with NAfME’s annual Hill Day event, during which all attendees head to Capitol Hill to meet with congressional representatives and staffers to share their story and advocate alongside leaders in their state on behalf of music education at the federal level.
OCMEA members in attendance included Grant Stout, Maria Hisey, and Joe Stegman; University of Miami; Felix Moreno; University of Mount Union; and Amari Junkins; Ohio Northern University.
End of the Year Updates
April 2025
OCMEA Officer Elections
Elections for the 2025-2026 OCMEA State Board are live through April 30! Please remember to vote!
Read more about the candidates: https://omea-ohio.
Vote here: https://portal.omea-
Edith M. Keller Memorial Scholarship
The Edith M. Keller Memorial Scholarship is offered by the Ohio Foundation for Music Education to help student teachers offset the cost of the student teaching semester and support them during the process, either in the fall or spring semester of the 2025/26 academic year. Edith M. Keller served as the State Supervisor of Music for the State of Ohio. In this capacity, she played a pivotal role in shaping and overseeing music education programs across the state. Her contributions were recognized by the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) when she was honored with the Distinguished Service Award for the 1954-1955 year. In recognition of her lasting impact, the Ohio Foundation for Music Education offers the Edith M. Keller Memorial Scholarship. This $750 scholarship is available to members of the Ohio Collegiate Music Education Association (OCMEA) who are undertaking their student teaching assignments in the coming academic year. Keller was also inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame, honoring her efforts in establishing a comprehensive statewide music education program. Applications for the scholarship will close on May 2nd. For more information, please look here: https://www.omea-ohio.org/
Modern Band Workshop
Music Will & OMEA Present a FREE Virtual Clinic - Wednesday, April 30, 2025 from 7 to 8:30PM.
TO REGISTER - Sign into the OMEA website and look for the "REGISTER HERE" link above the "Upcoming Events" calendar, or click here: https://portal.omea-ohio.org/
What it is about? Introduction to Modern Band: Discover engaging strategies for teaching popular music through modern band in this hands-on session. Participants will learn how to help students play, perform, and create using familiar genres—rap, rock, pop, Latin, R&B, and more. Regardless of prior experience, educators will leave with ready-to-use resources and practical tools to foster creativity and musical engagement for K-12 classrooms.
Learn more at www.musicwill.org.
NAfME Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit (CLAS)
The annual NAfME Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit (CLAS) is an exciting multiday event that brings together NAfME Collegiate members from all over the nation for leadership-centric learning sessions, advocacy training, and professional networking. The event concludes with NAfME’s annual Hill Day event, during which all attendees head to Capitol Hill to meet with congressional representatives and staffers to share their story and advocate at the federal level alongside leaders in their state on behalf of music education. Last summer, I had the opportunity to attend this conference alongside a group of OCMEA members, and I can not overstate how amazing of an experience it was. It is a great way to learn more about the advocacy work that we as music educators are called to do and to collect resources for how you and your chapter can get involved. If you are interested in learning more, please visit https://nafme.org/
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out! Have a great rest of the week!
Ben
President, OCMEA State Board
For more information about OCMEA and the State Board Officers, check out our website! https://www.omea-
Follow OCMEA on Instagram! https://www.
OMEA PDC Volunteering
January 8th, 2025
Hello OCMEA members!
OMEA is still looking for volunteers to work at the registration tables at various times throughout the Professional Development Conference! Anyone willing to work at the tables for 4 hours will have their registration fee covered by OMEA. If you have already registered and paid, you can still volunteer to have your registration fee refunded.
If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out this sign-up form no later than Sunday, January 12 (the sooner, the better!): https://portal.omea-
Available shifts are:
- Wednesday, February 5
- 5:30pm-8:30pm
- Thursday, February 6
- 7:30am-11:30am
- 11:30am-3:30pm
- 3:30pm-6:00pm
- Friday, February 7
- 6:30am-10:30am
- 10:30am-2:30pm
- 2:30pm-5:00pm
- 3:30pm-6:00pm
- Saturday, February 8
- 6:30am-10:00am
If you have any questions about volunteering, please contact Jay Wardeska (executive_director@omea-ohio.
Ben
President, OCMEA State Board
OMEA PDC OCMEA Events
December 11th, 2024
Hello OCMEA members!
I hope you are doing well and surviving the busy finals/juries/concert season! It's hard to believe it's already the end of another semester... and the 2025 OMEA Professional Development Conference will be here before we know it!
Did you know? The OMEA Professional Development Conference is the third largest music conference in the United States with nearly 300 sessions presented by nationally recognized master teachers, concerts performed by over 30 of Ohio's most talented ensembles, and the largest music trade show east of the Mississippi! You don't want to miss it! The 2025 Conference runs from 9:30 AM, Thursday, February 6 - 3:00 PM, Saturday, February 8 at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland and nearby hotel properties. For more information, click here!
Every year, there are many sessions specifically geared toward collegiate members. This year, there is at least one collegiate-oriented session during almost every time slot! You can access the full schedule here. (There are options to filter the schedule to see the sessions that are labeled "OCMEA".)
Two sessions to note:
Thursday, February 6 at 2pm - OCMEA All-Chapter Meeting: A meeting for members of OCMEA to discuss current issues in Music Education, share ideas, and connect with other chapters from around the state. The OCMEA State Board Officers will preside with a special appearance by NAfME President Deb Confredo! All OCMEAmembers and welcome and encouraged to attend.
Friday, February 7 at 8am - OCMEA All-Chapter Breakfast Forum: An informal meet and greet of all OCMEA members to connect and discuss ongoing questions or ideas from the All-Chapter Meeting or chapter issues in a social setting. A $10 pre-registration fee is required for entrance to the breakfast.
While many other sessions are going on at these two times, the State Board Officers would love to see as many members as possible at these two events! There will be opportunities to connect with music education majors from other colleges/universities, share ideas and resources, and offer feedback on how the State Board can better support OCMEA chapters!
We hope that you will join us at the conference! You can register here: https://www.omea-ohio.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
OMEA is currently looking for volunteers to work at the registration tables at various times throughout the conference! Anyone who is willing to work at the tables for 4 hours will have their registration fee covered by OMEA. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out this sign-up form by January 8 (the sooner, the better): https://portal.omea-
Available shifts are:
- Wednesday, February 5
- 5:30pm-8:30pm
- Thursday, February 6
- 7:30am-11:30am
- 11:30am-3:30pm
- 3:30pm-6:00pm
- Friday, February 7
- 6:30am-10:30am
- 10:30am-2:30pm
- 2:30pm-5:00pm
- 3:30pm-6:00pm
- Saturday, February 8
- 6:30am-10:00am
If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to any of the OCMEA State Board Officers! Our contact information, as well as other OCMEAinformation, can be found on the OCMEA website: https://www.omea-
Good luck on the rest of your finals and performances, and have a fantastic winter break!
Ben
President, OCMEA State Board
State Board Update
October 9th, 2024
I hope your fall semesters are going well so far! My name is Benjamin Low, and I have the pleasure of serving as President of the OCMEA State Board this year! I’m excited to be in this role and look forward to meeting and working with many of you throughout the year! I’m reaching out today with a couple updates from the State Board.
The State Board will be hosting the OCMEA Fall Conference on Saturday, November 2, at Capital University! Check-in will open at 10:45am, with our first guest speaker beginning at 11am. Brian Stevens, OMEA President, will close out the conference, wrapping up around 3pm. This year, the event will be free to attend, however lunch will not be provided like it has been in past years. There is no formal registration for the event, but we ask that all attendees RSVP using this form: https://forms.gle/
Also, we have a new website, which can be found here: https://www.omea-ohio.org/
Finally, registration for the Professional Development Conference in February 2025 is open! For more information about the conference, costs, and housing, please refer to the OMEA website: https://www.omea-ohio.org/pdc_
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to myself or any of the State Board officers!
Thanks,
Ben
OCMEA State Board Launches Brand New Website
September, 2024
Welcome to our new website! Thank you so much to our State Board Director of Communications, Amari Junkins, for creating the content, and execution! However, this website would not have happened without the support of all our OCMEA members! We hope you continue to support our mission, and let us support you!
Three Ohio Chapters Participate in Collegiate Kick-off Week
September, 2024
Collegiate Kickoff Week is a celebration of our student members of NAfME. The event focuses on recruiting, team-building, and advocacy activities implemented and shared by each NAfME Collegiate chapter. Kickoff Week offers students the opportunity to highlight their local programs and membership while participating in service and volunteer events. Ohio Northern University, Miami University, and Youngstown State University. Each Chapter featured daily posts focused around service, music, advocacy, professional development, and recruitment.
Ohio Northern University Wins NAfME Chapter of Excellence!
June, 2024
In 2024, Ohio Northern University won the Chapter of Excellence Award in Professional Development. They were one of three Chapters nationally to do so. The Chapter of Excellence Recognition was developed to encourage chapters to plan and execute successful chapter advocacy, music program, professional development, recruitment strategy, and service projects. Members attending the Conference include Amari Junkins, Aaron Thomas, Elizabeth Minturn, Kyler Lampton, and Ian Strange (left to right).
OCMEA Members Colleen Gorski and Amari Junkins Win Personal Achievement Awards
June, 2024
OCMEA Members made up one fourth of the NAfME Collegiate Professional Achievement Award Winners in 2024. Amari Junkins, Ohio Northern University, and Colleen Gorski, Miami University, attended the National Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit to accept these awards. The Professional Achievement Award recognizes individuals who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to their area of study (i.e., voice, instrumental, strings) and contribute to activities such as volunteering, work experience, and publications. The award recipient is expected to have consistently attended State and/or National conferences, held leadership positions, and, through personal example, encouraged other collegiates to work toward the highest level of professional development.
Collen Gorski accepting Professional Award.
Amari Junkins accepting Professional Award
OCMEA Members Attend National Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit
June, 2024
The annual NAfME Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit (CLAS) is an exciting multiday event that brings together NAfME Collegiate members from all over the nation for leadership-centric learning sessions, advocacy training, and professional networking.
The event concludes with NAfME’s annual Hill Day event, during which all attendees head to Capitol Hill to meet with congressional representatives and staffers to share their story and advocate alongside leaders in their state on behalf of music education at the federal level.
OCMEA members in attendance included Benjamin Low; University of Wooster; Colleen Gorski and Maria Hisey; Miami University; Amari Junkins, Elizabeth Minturn, Aaron Thomas, Ian Strange, and Kyler Lampton; Ohio Northern University.
