FROM THE E D I TO R First and foremost, I am grateful to have earned the confidence of my OMEA colleagues for electing me to serve as the editor of the TRIAD for the next two years. I have big plans that I hope will result in a little rebranding of our beloved TRIAD. I hope it will rekindle our love of teaching and our excitement to read the TRIAD for new teaching ideas. Along with my trusty sidekick, and OMEA media extraordinaire Amy Annico, the overriding theme for this year’s TRIAD will be “LOVE MUSIC!” I challenge you to remember why you went into this profession. Who and what inspired you to pursue a love of teaching? We want to help you to rediscover your passion for teaching and your LOVE OF MUSIC by providing easily readable articles with great advice that can be applied in your teaching as soon as tomorrow! We are exhausted, frustrated, and overwhelmed dealing with the events of the last 18 months. Unfortunately, the saga continues. Yet—we as music teachers always find a way to prevail! When flaming and exploding hoops are thrown at us, we find a way to succeed for our students, despite those obstacles. We have found a way to show how music and the arts MUST be a part of every child’s education. Someone inspired you to LOVE MUSIC! The events of the last 20 months have worn us down and some have forgotten what inspires us to be great for our students. We are the inspiration that keeps some of our 5 | TRIAD
students coming to school. We reach so many students in ways other subjects cannot reach them – we all know that our classes may be the one of the few reasons kids come to school. YOU are the bright spot during their day that inspires them to find passion in music and to find beauty in their lives. Remember that your LOVE OF MUSIC and passion is what keeps them going through everything. Dig deep, especially now, and remember to rediscover your love for teaching and infuse your love of music into your teaching. We will inspire a whole new generation about the passion and fun of making music as well as the perseverance to get through difficult times. Despite the hardships they have all encountered, your students will prevail and now, more than ever we must re-discover our own passions for teaching and remind ourselves to share our love of music – it is still in there despite everything! Remind your students and your community how to LOVE MUSIC. It is one of the few things that can help bring us out of this trying time with joy and passion…. which comes from YOU! Every article in this issue is infused with the undertone of rediscovering your love of music. Every article this year will be infused with that phrase. We hope to help remind you why you teach music…why you teach your students! They love you more than you may realize, and you are their beacon for how to
