Music Industry and Music Education Working Together to Meet New Challenges

 

Register today!

Tuesday, August 12 at at 7:00 PM ET

Music Industry and Music Education Working Together to Meet New Challenges

NAfME and the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) will present a special webinar on how the music industry and the music education profession are working together to address new and ongoing challenges including tariffs, careers in music, and more.

Attendees will:

• Receive helpful information during back-to-school season about how the industry supports the teachers
• Learn about policy updates, including federal funding and policies to support music education
• Take part in a tariff discussion to help music educators understand how the industry works, how the industry may be impacted by supply chain disruptions, and how schools can plan during a time of uncertainty
• Leave with tips to strengthen relationships with school music retailers, school/district administrator or school business officials, and school counselors

Speakers include:

NAfME President (2024–2026) Deb Confredo is Professor of Music Education and Director of Online Graduate Studies in Music Education at Temple University (Philadelphia, PA). A 42-year veteran music educator, Confredo has taught elementary, middle, and high school instrumental music in New York and Pennsylvania and has been a music teacher educator at Illinois State University, University of Illinois, and Temple University. Her state MEA memberships have included Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Louisiana, where she was a member of LMEA’s Council for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Professional Development Committee; and the Louisiana Music Adjudicators Association. Confredo is Immediate Past Chair of the Society for Research in Music Education and currently the Chair of the NAfME Music Teacher Profession Initiative.

Laurie Nason Fellenz has been executive director of Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA), Wisconsin Music Educators Association (WMEA) and Wisconsin Foundation for School Music (WFSM) since July 2018. In this role, Laurie oversees the operations of three (3) music non-profit organizations at the Wisconsin Center for Music Education, owned and operated by WSMA. She is serving a four-year term as Region 4 representative on the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) music committee (2023-2027) and was also appointed to the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Equity Committee from 2024-2026.

Amanda Karhuse is the assistant executive director for advocacy and public policy at NAfME where she works with policymakers and key stakeholders to promote music as an integral and core component of a well-rounded education. In this role, she coordinates all federal and statepolicy and advocacy efforts for NAfME, which includes lobbying, coalition-building activities, and strengthening the capacity of music education advocates.

Claire Kreger-Boaz is the public policy manager at NAMM, where she guides high-impact lobbying efforts and member education, with a focus on music education advocacy, business compliance and workforce development. Kreger-Boaz spent more than a decade in academic publishing before joining NAMM in 2014.

John Mlynczak has an extensive range of experiences in the music industry, music education, technology and leadership. John currently serves as the President and CEO of NAMM.

Prior to NAMM, John served as Vice President of Music Education & Technology at Hal Leonard, where he oversaw worldwide education market strategy, managed Noteflight, Essential Elements Interactive, and Essential Elements Music Class, and collaborated on all music education technology related initiatives for Hal Leonard. Previously, he was Managing Director of Noteflight and he is the immediate Past-President of the Technology Institute of Music Educators (TI:ME).

Mlynczak has taught online graduate courses at VanderCook College, served as Advocacy Chair of the Massachusetts Music Educators Association, served on the NAMM SupportMusic Coalition, and on the NAfME Advocacy Leadership Force. He is a Google Level 2 Certified Educator and a frequent clinician on education technology and music advocacy.

Register now for this free event happening as we head back to school.

This event is free and open to the public. Professional development clock hours and a course completion certificate will not be available for this event.