NJMEA Offers Another Year of Great Sessions for PK-8 General Music Educators Amy M. Burns Far Hills Country School aburns[at]fhcds.org
NJMEA is thrilled to present another year filled with incredible sessions designed for general music educators from preschool through grade eight. Kicking off with the Elementary Academy on Thursday, February 20, and continuing with a variety of sessions until Saturday, February 22, elementary music teachers will have the opportunity to select sessions that will inspire them, revitalize their classroom lessons, enhance their resource access, and provide them with innovative ideas to implement in their classes for years ahead. Here’s a glimpse of some of the scheduled presenters. Please keep in mind that, as with any conference, this information may change at any time.
turing creative songs and activities designed to immerse children in the joy of rhythm. Through imaginative exercises and adaptable techniques, kids will explore rhythm, enhancing their musical experience and fostering creative expression. Dr. Missy Strong has taught general, choral, and instrumental music at the early childhood, elementary, and middle school levels for 27 years and is the host and Executive Producer of the Music Ed Amplified podcast and recently received the 2023 Master Music Teacher Award from the New Jersey Music Educators Association. Missy holds a Master of Music Education degree from Rowan University and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Education with a specialty in Early Childhood Musical Development from Rutgers University, New Brunswick. She currently teaches elementary general and choral music in Mount Laurel Township, NJ and is adjunct professor at Rowan University. She served as the Senior Research Assistant for Music Together and was the Director of Children’s Music Education at Philadelphia’s historic Tenth Presbyterian Church for over a decade. A frequent music education consultant and clinician, Missy presents conference sessions, professional development workshops, webinars, and courses at the collegiate, international, regional, state, and local levels. She is a published author and editor with articles in both state and national music education journals and books from GIA Publications and Oxford University Press.
Elementary Music Academy The NJMEA conference kicks off on Thursday, February 20, featuring a range of academies that encompass different facets of music education. Among these is the Elementary Music Academy. This year, we are thrilled to welcome our headliners, Stephanie Leavell MT-BC, and Dr. Missy Strong! Stephanie Leavell is an award-winning songwriter, a music therapist, and the creator of Music for Kiddos, an online education company that provides high-quality music resources and continuing education for music therapists, music educators, and parents. Stephanie is a Berklee College of Music graduate and is passionate about using music to help kids succeed. She specializes in working with babies and kids through age 10. Stephanie’s sessions: Move It, Move It! Structured Movement Songs Sequences for Classroom Management Music therapist Stephanie Leavell offers a dynamic approach to classroom management by exploring various types of movement songs and how they can be strategically sequenced to prepare kids for learning. Attendees will gain practical insights and a toolkit of movement songs to implement in their own classroom, enhancing engagement, academics, and overall well-being.
Missy’s Sessions: More Modern Music in the Elementary General Classroom We will review what the research says about the power of Groove in movement experiences as we experience activities that will engage, excite, and include all students. Bring comfy shoes, an open mind, and get ready to move! “Be Musical”: How Two Words Revolutionized Engagement and Community in My Classroom Two simple words, “Be Musical” coupled with some knowledge about the power of belonging transformed my music classroom, helping create a foundation for what is now a community of (almost always) joyful, cooperative musicians. Learn
Feel The Beat: Creative Rhythm Resources for Early Elementary Music Join music therapist Stephanie Leavell in a presentation feaTEMPO
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JANUARY 2025