Illinois Music Educators Association
The Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) is the Illinois state-level affiliate of National Association for Music Education.
The Illinois Music Education Association exists to advocate for universal access to comprehensive music education; deliver exemplary professional development for educators; and provide outstanding musical experiences for all Illinois learners facilitated by licensed music educators.
ILMEA offers support to Illinois music educators through ongoing professional development opportunities, including the annual Illinois Music Education Conference held in Peoria, Illinois, in conjunction with the student All-State programs.
Students in Illinois audition to perform in an ILMEA ensemble (band, chorus, orchestra, jazz band or vocal jazz ensemble) within one of nine geographic districts. Based on that audition, Senior Level (high school) students may be invited to participate in the annual Illinois All-State Student Programs. There are also opportunities for those students considering careers in music education (Future Music Educators Seminar). The ILMEA Student Composition Competition is one of the largest and most robust of its kind in the country. Open to students in grades 6-12, students may enter original traditional ensemble repertoire, as well as original works in the singer-songwriter, commercial, rap/hip hop and modern band categories as well as arranging categories.
At the junior high level, students audition to perform in an ILMEA band, orchestra, choir or jazz band in one of the nine geographic districts. To be eligible, student musicians must be active members, in good standing, in the appropriate music ensemble at their school.
ILMEA advocates at the local, state and national level for fully-funded inclusion of music education for all Illinois students. The organization was part of the effort to include the Fine Arts as a weighted indicator on the Illinois School Report Card, the first state to advocate successfully for this measure. Additionally, ILMEA was instrumental in creating the Illinois Fine Arts Learning Standards and have them adopted by the Illinois State Board of Education as the benchmark standards for well-rounded music education programs.
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- Music organizations based in the United States
- National Association for Music Education
- Education in Illinois