1 . Governance . The Division leaders meet at least twice yearly ( fall and spring ) to serve as a conduit of ideas and information between the member states and the national association . Attendees include the Division President , President-Elect and Past President and the Presidents , Presidents-Elect , Past Presidents and additional leaders of each unit , which may include State Managers , State Editors , and others .
2 . Biennial Conference and Honors Ensembles . The Eastern Division is one of only two NAfME Divisions ( Northwest being the other ) that sponsors an in-service professional development conference and student honors groups . The Division leaders and the host states put in an inordinate amount of hours and professional know-how to plan and produce this hallmark of our Division . There will be more to come on this in future Eastern Division Encores !
Now , back to that father-of-the-bride mode . In late August , I walked my daughter , Cassie , down the aisle and handed her off to her beloved Jacob as they start a new chapter of their lives together . While both are accomplished research scientists , they spend much of their free time arranging and performing as part of an a cappella vocal ensemble based in the Silicon Valley area . As proud as I am of their accomplishments in the fields of physics , chemistry and biology , it is their creativity and positive emotional energy as musicians that captures my rapt attention and makes my heart soar . They were both fortunate enough to be surrounded by families , communities and inspiring educators that supported their growth as musicians as well as their intellectual curiosity . We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the many Eastern Division music educators who nurtured their talents .
With the new school year under way , we are all faced once more with the promise of kindling a love for music in our students . Each of our students has the potential to be inspired by us to develop the sensitive , creative and most human and humane traits that accompany musical skills and knowledge . Please join me in this wondrous , annual cycle of renewal and our quest to launch our students into a future filled with a bountiful harvest of the shared joy of music !
Questions for Marc ? You can contact him at greene . nafme @ gmail . com