A Note from the Incoming PMEA D12 President

Dear Colleagues –

If you are reading this, you need to close the laptop and get back to napping on the beach!  Ok, well right after you read this note.   I hope you all are having a fantastic summer and a WELL deserved break from the exhausting year we’ve had. I’m honored to be stepping into the role of PMEA District 12 President for the next two years.  Hannah Knauss, Choral Director at Interboro High School, is moving into the position of vice president, and I’m thankful to have her on the team!  We have more new faces on the PMEA D12 Board, and we will all have a chance to meet them in a future message.

I’d like to extend a huge thank you to outgoing president Justin McAdams for his great leadership the past two years.  Through the uncertainty and stress of the pandemic, Justin was a true leader who took the initiative to keep the D12 membership informed on the latest guidance from scientific and public officials, and make the difficult decisions on how we were going to adapt our PMEA festivals and events to the ever-changing pandemic situation.

Now, with cautious optimism, it seems we can look forward to a school year that will be much closer to the “normal” that we remember prior to March 2020.   We will all continue to follow the guidelines of our own school administrators and strive to give our students the best music experience possible.  As this chapter of our lives comes to a close, we can reflect on some important questions:  How has this experience changed us as teachers, and as individuals?  What challenges do we face in our school music programs as a result of this crisis, and what steps can we take to address them?  What lessons have we learned and what skills have we gained that can ENHANCE our programs moving forward? These are all great questions to ponder….But for now, get back to that paperback mystery novel and simply enjoy the gentle ocean breeze 😀.  

I wish you all a wonderful, relaxing, and rejuvenating summer, however you choose to spend it.  

Steve Selfridge
PMEA D12 President
president@pmea12.org