Delaware Music Educators Association

The 2027 National Association for Music Education Eastern Division Conference will be hosted by our Rhode Island and the RIMEA - Rhode Island Music Education Association

Applications for School Performing Ensembles and Session Proposals for the 2027 NAfME Eastern Division Conference are open until July 1, 2026

Delaware Performing Ensembles & Presenters are encouraged to apply for a chance to be selected to represent Delaware at this regional conference!

Follow RIMEA on Instagram and Facebook for additional information and highlights.
More info here: https://www.rimea.org/eastern

Delaware MEA Leaders head to our nation’s Capitol Hill next week to continue to advocate & elevate the arts for not only our Delaware young musicians, but young musicians across the country! We look forward to meeting with our state’s leaders and many more!

Congresswoman Sarah McBride, U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester, U.S. Senator Chris C***s - we look forward to seeing all of you next week!

Please see below for the application for the Artistic Director Position with our friends and colleagues at the Kent Chamber Choir

Artistic Director Position now available.

Thank you Sen. Dan Cruce and Rep. Gorman along with the Delaware Arts Alliance and Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) for your work in seeing SB260 through to fruition! A jumping point of momentum for the future of strengthening the Arts pathways and careers in Delaware!

NAfME joined national, state, and local organizations in a joint letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies regarding Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 funding for education. Read the letter here: https://www.titleiva.org/letters-to-congress

We urge advocates to join us in contacting your U.S. Senators and Representatives today: https://nafmeorg.quorum.us/campaign/Hill-Day-2026/

Included among signing organizations on the Title IV-A Coalition letter are:

State music education associations from: AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MS, ND, NH, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, RI, SD, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, and WY.

NAfME Music Education Policy Roundtable members: A. Cuthbertson Consulting, American Orff-Schulwerk Association, Americans for the Arts, Chamber Music America, CMA Foundation, Chorus America, CommonTime Education, Conn Selmer, Drum Corps International, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Education Through Music, El Sistema USA, Feierabend Association for Music Education, Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association, Hawai’i Youth Symphony, Hip-Hop Education Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, JazzSLAM, Kindermusik, Intl., KRUTZ, Inc., League of American Orchestras, Missouri Alliance for Arts Education, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, Music Teacher Guild, Music Teachers National Association, Music Travel Consultants, Music Will, Music Workshop, MusicFirst, National Association for Music Education, National Association for the Study and Performance of African American Music, NAMM, National Concerts, National Federation of State High School Associations, National Music Council of the United States, New Harmony Line, Organization of American Kodaly Educators, Percussive Arts Society, Quadrant Research, Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society, Sankofa Songs! Inc., Save The Music Foundation, Teaching Guitar Workshops, Teachrock.org, and Young Audiences, Inc.

We are incredibly excited to celebrate Christ the Teacher Catholic School in Newark for being selected as a TOP Tri-M chapter (first runner up in the Jr Division) in the country!

NAfME is pleased to announce the 2025–2026 Tri-M® Music Honor Society national and state Chapters of the Year! The National Chapter of the Year Program is designed to motivate and reward chapters that perform service projects, encourage Chapter Officers to perform their duties properly, and increase awareness and interest in what other Tri-M chapters are doing.

Congratulations to all these outstanding Tri-M Music Honor Society middle and high school chapters! Read more: https://nafme.org/blog/2025-2026-tri-m-music-honor-society-national-and-state-chapters-of-the-year-announced

2026 Cape Henlopen School District Teacher of the Year Chris Burkhart saw talented student musicians missing opportunities simply because private lessons were out of reach and chose to rebuild access around students.

What started as an effort to remove barriers has grown into a districtwide program connecting students with private instruction, mentorship, scholarships, and professional opportunities. By partnering with retired music educators, local organizations, and families, students who once thought lessons were impossible are now performing at high levels, pursuing music in college, and finding confidence in their craft.

Students found more than music here. They found belonging, encouragement, and a community that believes their talent should never be limited by income or geography. What began as a subsidy program became something much bigger for the Cape school community.

Our Music Education Professionals are that & MORE! We stand with our Music Educators proudly!

A new rule from the U.S. Department of Education, finalized at the end of April 2026, marks a noteworthy shift in how graduate students are classified for federal student loan purposes. This much-disputed decision carries real implications for future music educators and others pursuing advanced degrees in education.

On May 7, Congressional Democrats announced plans to introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution to repeal the new rule once it is officially submitted to Congress. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), John Mannion (NY-22), and Lauren Underwood (IL-14), along with Senators Jeff Merkley (OR) and Angela Alsobrooks (MD), are leading the effort to overturn the finalized rule.

Learn more: https://nafme.org/blog/new-professional-student-definition-reshapes-federal-student-loan-limits/

Delaware honors 40 students at 2nd annual Future in the Arts celebration

“Ask any employer: They don’t hire a test score,” Delaware Education Secretary Cindy Marten said. “They hire a person. They hire someone who can think, create, reason, and communicate their thoughts with conviction, someone who can collaborate and solve problems they’ve never seen before. That is exactly what you do every single day.”

More: https://news.delaware.gov/2026/06/02/delaware-honors-40-students-at-2nd-annual-future-in-the-arts-celebration/