2026 Maine Music Educators Association Conference: Full Schedule

10:00am EDT

Thursday May 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:55am EDT

Donald P Corbett Hall Rm 107 @ 28 Beddington Rd, Orono, ME 04469, USA

Programming a concert is more than just picking the music. In this session we will look at some guidelines, practices and philosophies for putting together a program which meets your educational goals and is musically satisfying and fun for both the students and the audience.

Speakers

Larry Detwiler

Retired music educator

Larry has had over 40 years experience as a music educator. He spent most of his career overseas teaching in Italy, Indonesia and Brazil. He has run workshops in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and the United States. Now retired, he spends his time subbing at the Lincoln Academy in Newcastle... Read More →

Thursday May 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:55am EDT
Donald P Corbett Hall Rm 107

Band Choral Orchestra

11:00am EDT

Curriculum by Design: An Approach to Teaching in the Ensemble Setting

Thursday May 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:55am EDT

Williams Hall Rm 140 @ 18 E Mall Rd, Orono, ME 04473, USA

In our ensemble classrooms, we aren’t given a curriculum book that tells us what to teach. This session will provide practical strategies for building and expanding your own curriculum, from scaffolding lessons to selecting musical concepts and repertoire. You’ll explore an approach that validates your teaching while encouraging students to actively engage with the concepts you present. Fully developed unit examples, along with free lesson plans and resources, will be shared for immediate use and adaptation. Leave equipped with tools to design a program where every rehearsal fosters musicianship, student engagement, and deeper connections to music.

Speakers

Matthew Mayo

Matthew Mayo is in his third year as Instrumental Music Director at Mount Desert Island High School in Bar Harbor, Maine, where he leads Symphonic Band, Pep Band, Chamber Ensembles, and assists with Jazz Bands. He is passionate about developing innovative curricula that expand student... Read More →

Thursday May 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:55am EDT
Williams Hall Rm 140

Band Choral Orchestra

2:00pm EDT

Stepping Aside: Student-led Rehearsal and Performance in the Large Ensemble Setting

Thursday May 14, 2026 2:00pm - 2:55pm EDT

Collins Center for the Arts @ 2 Flagstaff Rd, Orono, ME 04473, USA

Since 1974, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (NY) has been making music without a conductor. Its model calls every musician into deep engagement with the entirety of a composition, the rehearsal process, and every musician within the orchestra. Inspired by Orpheus, music educators at both middle school and high school levels of learning across the country have employed this “conductor- less” rehearsal and performance as a partner to traditional conductor-led music making. The benefits to students are transformational and illuminate the riches of meaningful engagement with the musical, artistic, and human dimensions of the large ensemble classroom.

Speakers

Dr. Scott Jones

Ohio State University

Scott A. Jones is Professor of Music, Associate Director of Bands, and Director of the Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Center for Integrated Arts and Enterprise at The Ohio State University. He conducts the Symphonic Band, leads the undergraduate conducting curriculum, and founded the... Read More →

Brandon Duras

Director of Instrumental Music, Brunswick High School

Brandon Duras is currently the Director of Instrumental Music in Brunswick, Maine where he conducts the jazz band, Symphonic Band, Honors Wind Ensemble, and teaches piano and music theory. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he received his Bachelor of Music Education in... Read More →

Performers

Brunswick H.S. Wind Ensemble

Thursday May 14, 2026 2:00pm - 2:55pm EDT
Collins Center for the Arts

Band

3:00pm EDT

Band Conducting Symposium

Thursday May 14, 2026 3:00pm - 3:55pm EDT

Collins Center for the Arts @ 2 Flagstaff Rd, Orono, ME 04473, USA

This mini conducting symposium will serve as a workshop for educators looking to work on and improve their conducting to create a more meaningful and efficient rehearsal process. All students, no matter what age, can and do respond to conducting gestures effectively. The goal of this session is to provide 6 teachers a chance to conduct a student group on a piece of repertoire representative of what they would do in their own program and receive feedback on their conducting from guest clinicians. This session is primarily for elementary and middle level educators who would like to improve the conducting, however all are welcome to apply and encouraged to observe the workshop. Repertoire for the session will be new literature that will cause the session to double as a reading session for the observers of the session.

Speakers

Dr. Scott Jones

Ohio State University

Brandon Duras

Director of Instrumental Music, Brunswick High School

Performers

Brunswick H.S. Wind Ensemble

Thursday May 14, 2026 3:00pm - 3:55pm EDT
Collins Center for the Arts

Band

4:00pm EDT

Blueprint Before the Downbeat: Designing the First Nine Weeks of Middle School Band

Thursday May 14, 2026 4:00pm - 4:55pm EDT

Donald P Corbett Hall Rm 107 @ 28 Beddington Rd, Orono, ME 04469, USA

The first nine weeks of school can feel overwhelming for middle school band directors, especially new teachers and those entering the profession. This session offers a clear, supportive blueprint for designing those critical weeks with intention and confidence. Participants will explore a practical, week-by-week framework focused on establishing routines, building positive classroom culture, developing sound fundamentals, and fostering student buy-in before the first performance cycle. Emphasis is placed on simple, consistent systems for instruction, communication, and assessment. Attendees will leave with actionable tools and planning structures to help build an organized, confident, concert-ready band program before the first downbeat.

Speakers

Kelley Johnson

Ms. Kelley Johnson is an experienced music educator, clinician, and instructional leader with a strong focus on middle-level band education. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Bethune-Cookman University and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Curriculum... Read More →

Thursday May 14, 2026 4:00pm - 4:55pm EDT
Donald P Corbett Hall Rm 107

Band

4:00pm EDT

Choral conducting basics for instrumental/Choral hybrid Directors

Thursday May 14, 2026 4:00pm - 4:55pm EDT

Donald P Corbett Hall Rm 115 @ 28 Beddington Rd, Orono, ME 04469, USA

This session is designed for directors who conduct both instrumental and choral ensembles, but is open to anyone with an interest in refining their Choral gesture. In this session, we'll cover the similarities between instrumental and choral conducting, and also explore some simple and effective choral gestures in an effort to add clarity and simplicity to your practice.

Speakers

Darrel Whidden

Conductor and music educator Darrel Whidden joined the music department as choral director at South Portland High School in the fall of 2022. There, he teaches music electives, and conducts the chorus, and the South Portland Chamber Singers. Previously, Darrel has taught general music... Read More →

Thursday May 14, 2026 4:00pm - 4:55pm EDT
Donald P Corbett Hall Rm 115

Band Choral

9:55am EDT

Small Band Techniques

Friday May 15, 2026 9:55am - 10:55am EDT

Donald P Corbett Hall Rm 107 @ 28 Beddington Rd, Orono, ME 04469, USA

Small bands can be great bands! Join this fast-paced, hands-on session exploring tools and tactics specifically geared towards achieving excellence with unideal instrumentation. Topics will include repertoire selection as well as rehearsal techniques for developing blend and balance, building confidence in sight-reading, and differentiating instruction. Participants will leave with ready-to-use tools to incorporate into their daily teaching. This session is ideal for directors at "one band schools" or at schools with a non-auditioned, open-enrollment band, and it will address both concert and marching band settings.

Speakers

Chris DeVona

Assistant Director of Bands, James Madison University

Chris DeVona is the Assistant Director of Bands at James Madison University, where he conducts the Symphonic Band and teaches conducting courses in addition to working with athletic bands. When not working with the JMU bands, Chris travels frequently as a guest conductor, clinician... Read More →

Friday May 15, 2026 9:55am - 10:55am EDT
Donald P Corbett Hall Rm 107

Band

11:00am EDT

From the Stands to the Stage: Using Pep Band & Marching Band to Elevate Your Program

Friday May 15, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

Donald P Corbett Hall Rm 107 @ 28 Beddington Rd, Orono, ME 04469, USA

Pep band and marching band are more than spirit ensembles, they’re powerful tools for growing and strengthening your overall band program. This session explores practical strategies to boost visibility, enhance recruitment, and elevate musicianship through high-energy, community-focused ensembles. Most of all, how to build a strong community and relationships within your band program. Learn how to leverage game-day and field performance opportunities to build excitement, develop leadership, and support a thriving, well-rounded music program.

Speakers

Hailey Francoeur

Hailey Francoeur is a music educator, percussionist, and arts administrator committed to creating meaningful, high-quality musical experiences for students and communities. She currently serves as the Band Director at Sanford High School, where she leads a comprehensive 9–12 instrumental... Read More →

Friday May 15, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Donald P Corbett Hall Rm 107

Band

3:45pm EDT

Expressive Conducting - Connecting Gesture to Music

Friday May 15, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT

Williams Hall Rm 140 @ 18 E Mall Rd, Orono, ME 04473, USA

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!

Friday May 15, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT
Williams Hall Rm 140

Band Choral Orchestra

3:45pm EDT

Equity in General Music and Beginner Band

Friday May 15, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT

Donald P Corbett Hall Rm 107 @ 28 Beddington Rd, Orono, ME 04469, USA

In this session, UMaine undergraduates present expanded versions of their final project for coursework in which they took a critical look at common practices in PK–12 music education. Situated in current research, the preservice teachers identify a variety of practices—including elementary students receiving general music instruction once a week and the experiences of students with disabilities in beginner band—which they then analyze and problematize through a lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. The undergraduate students provide ideas to address the deficits in music education in order to create opportunities for all PK-12 students.

Speakers

Maddy Vlahos

Maya Gould

Rebecca DeWan

Asst. Prof of Choral/General Music Education, University of Maine

Rebecca DeWan is Assistant Professor of Choral/General Music Education at the University of Maine where she teaches undergraduate music education courses and conducts Collegiate Chorale. Rebecca’s 14 years in the K–12 classroom inform her research on trauma-informed, equity-centered... Read More →

Friday May 15, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT
Donald P Corbett Hall Rm 107

Band Gen Music DEIA

10:00am EDT

11:00am EDT

2:00pm EDT

3:00pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

9:55am EDT

11:00am EDT

3:45pm EDT

3:45pm EDT

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