2026 Maine Music Educators Association Conference

Estill Voice Training is an anatomy-based vocal technique that has transformed my teaching and directing. In this lecture, I will present how to use a few key Estill Figures and qualities with your middle and high-school choir to improve upon their sound. Participants will experience a few Estill basics, for example, thick versus thin, torso anchor, thyroid tilt, and the difference between speech and cry/sob qualities, to help your choir excel and move audiences. I’ll present how I apply Estill to rehearsal practices, including the various prompts that have worked the best with my group.

Make Whatever Work and Win
Do you work in a school with a small program or an unbalanced choir? This workshop will be how to look at music differently and give all kids access to great music - even if there is just one boy and 12 girls! This will be a discussion on great repertoire that can be done with all types of groups. Being successful with repertoire can help to build a program stronger and recruit more singers.

Designed for middle school and high school choral and general music educators, this professional workshop is ideal for teachers new to jazz choir or interested in starting one at their school. With a truly beginner-friendly approach, participants will learn how to introduce the concept of vocal improvisation to students and incorporate improvisatory activities into their rehearsals. Through experiential learning, attendees will explore engaging vocal improvisation games, tools, and foundational concepts, and leave with practical, ready-to-use activities—along with renewed excitement for building and investing in jazz choirs across Maine.

This session explores the history of barbershop music from its roots to the modern era, highlighting the genre’s musical characteristics and stylistic evolution. Participants will examine barbershop arrangements to better understand harmony, voicing, and expressive techniques unique to the style. The session also includes active music-making, with attendees singing select barbershop tags to experience the sound, structure, and joy of the genre firsthand.

This session gives teachers easy yet effective ways to assess individual student progress in their choral classroom. I hope teachers take away practices for rehearsals and performances that allow students to learn at their own pace, make improvements, and show audiences that there is more to a performance than simply notes on a page.

Key learning outcomes from this presentation include individual assessment strategies for the choral classroom, rehearsal techniques to maximize choral performance, and methods to approach outside learning opportunities.

Discussion topics will include student-led rehearsals, ensemble seating, riser placement, success at adjudicated festivals, and individual student assessment.

Jazz is scary! But does it have to be? If exploring vocal jazz feels intimidating, this session will show you why you should consider adding jazz to your curriculum, or even start your own jazz choir! As a newbie to teaching vocal jazz, I'll showcase the benefits I've seen in my program, discuss potential hurdles and how to overcome or avoid them, share some tips and tricks I've picked up, and break down some of the techniques, idioms, language, and other seeming mysteries surrounding jazz choir. If I can do it, so can you!

In this session, we will move beyond conducting time and explore
possibilities for improved artistic communication in rehearsals and
performance. We'll examine pragmatic ways to practice
expressive gesture, train your ensembles to be responsive to
expressive conducting, and apply these skills to repertoire. Bring
your batons!

Join us for an energizing choral reading session featuring music from Santa Barbara Music Publishing. This session highlights a diverse selection of works across styles, voicings, and difficulty levels—chosen to support strong musical growth, be musically compelling, and excite singers grades 6-12. Attendees will leave with a packet of practical resources to help program your next concert!