The April Conference is over, spring concerts are here, and thoughts are turning to summer. In addition to some very well deserved rest and relaxation, this summer I hope you will take advantage of professional development opportunities in music education.

As music educators, we are well aware of the importance of teaching our students so that they will be lifelong learners and producers of music. One of the best ways we can do this is by modeling these traits to our students. I hope you will mark your calendar and make plans to attend the 2008 Summer Conference which will be held on Monday, July 21 and Tuesday, July 22 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. Our summer conference provides many opportunities to develop skills both as educators and as musicians.

Monday, July 21
We will begin the day with a general session, which will focus on technology. David Warlick of the Landmark Project, a technology consultant and author, will speak to us about the use of technology in communication and literacy. He will discuss how exposure to technology has changed children and what we must know in order to be effective with our current generation of students. Dr. Jim Frankel, managing director of SoundTree and a former middle school music educator will follow with a presentation on current technology trends in music education. Dr. Frankel will also present technology workshops on Tuesday morning.

Monday afternoon will be your chance to become a producer of music as you choose to attend the choral, band, string, instrumental jazz or classroom music strand. Clinicians for the strands include Edward Lisk for band, Robert Gardner for strings, Frank Bianchi for chorus, Glenn Hosterman for instrumental jazz, and a variety of options in classroom music.

Following dinner we will have our third annual sharing session and variety show. Each strand will share selections from their reading sessions and each PMEA District is invited to have an individual or group perform in the variety segment. This will be followed by a social where you can reconnect with old friends and meet some new ones.

Tuesday, July 22
Tuesday morning will feature Rich Victor with his annual Advocacy Update. Jamie Kasper, Fine Arts and Humanities Advisor for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, will be here to keep us informed about what is happening at the PDE.

You will be able to attend workshops in interest areas such as early childhood, technology, urban education, recorder, and others, as well as participate in mentor or adjudicator training.

The conference planning committee and the conference tape listening committees will meet on Tuesday afternoon.

Golf Tournament
If you enjoy golf and would like to come to State College on Sunday, PMEA will be holding its first annual Summer Conference Golf Outing at the Penn Stater Golf Course. This event promises to be a good time for all PMEA golfers. If you are interested in participating, please fill out and return the form located on page 42. The cost is still being determined and will depend on the number of participants. We are estimating the amount to be somewhere between $60 and $80 for registered summer conference attendees. The cost will be slightly higher for those only participating in the golf outing. Please check the PMEA website for further details.

Registration
To register, please complete the form on page 41 of PMEA News. Online registration is also available by logging on to the PMEA website at pmea.net and selecting the “Summer Conference” product located in the online store. This event is open to all PMEA members, however space is limited so be sure to register before the June 20th deadline. Registration is $25 and includes all sessions, breaks, Monday lunch, dinner, an evening social and Tuesday breakfast. Attendees are responsible for making their own housing arrangements. Rooms are available at the Penn Stater at the rate of $100 for a single or double room, and $110 for a triple or quad. Reservations can be made by calling 800-233-7505 by June 20 or until the hotel is sold out. Be sure to specify the PMEA reservation code: mus0270.

I hope to see all of you at the Summer Conference. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people, get involved in PMEA, to sharpen your skills, and add more tools to your box of teaching strategies. I also hope you will share your conference experiences with your students so they will know you have not stopped learning and growing.

Sharon M. Potter is the state C/I coordinator and teaches at Rosemont School of the Holy Child.