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For Professional Development hosted by PMEA or NAfME, see the Professional Development Opportunities page of the PMEA Website.
(Updated December 9, 2025)
The Fourteenth East Coast Band Conference – March 28th
The conference, dedicated to band history and repertoire, will consist of 30-minute talks from 9 a.m. until noon and an open rehearsal of rare band works from 2 to 4 p.m.. Both events will take place in the Ringgold Band’s rehearsal room at 3539-A Freemont St., Laureldale, PA 19605. The rehearsal room is a veritable museum of Ringgold Band history and by extension Reading band history. There is ample free parking at the site.
Members of the Ringgold Band, conducted by Chuck Ebersole, will form the core of the players at the rehearsal. You are encouraged to bring your instrument and augment the band. If you choose to do so, please write to Chuck Ebersole at 147 Walnut St., Mohnton, PA 19540 or email him at chucksfz@gmail.com and let him know.
If you wish to have a rare band work performed at the rehearsal, please inform Mr. Ebersole and then send him a xeroxed copy of the score and parts well in advance of the conference so the band can rehearse it beforehand. If you wish to conduct the work yourself, please let him know.
The conference is free of charge and there is no formal registration. In order to estimate the attendance, however, please notify me at hcrissey45@gmail.com of your intent to attend. I hope to see you there.
Here is the list of the 30-minute presentations in the morning:
1) Arthur Himmelberger – William D. Revelli: The Man, His Bands, His Legacy
2) Timothy Kaiser – The Sousa Effect: Performance Tips from Those Who Were There:
3) James Shufelt – A History of the Carlisle, PA Town Band
4) William Rehrig – Unearthing Forgotten Band Pieces of Worth
5) Jari Villanueva – Taps vs. Last Post (with reference to bands)
6) Jon Mitchell – TBA
3/28/26
Music Industry Conference 2026
Set inside the nation’s largest free music festival, the Musikfest Music Industry Conference connects educators, students, artists, and industry leaders through hands-on sessions in Production, Performance, Music Business, Innovation, and Education.
CALL FOR SESSION PROPOSALS
Opens: September 15, 2025
Deadline: November 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET
Format: 50-minute sessions (workshops, panels, demos, live coaching, mentorship roundtables)
Perks:
No submission fee
Speakers attend free
Collaborative proposals encouraged
CFP Link: https://fest.formstack.com/forms/2026_musikfest_music_industry_conference_proposal_submissions
Band Showcase (Ages 10–Adult)
Performance Dates: August 2–4, 2026 (on an official Musikfest stage)
Deadline to Apply: February 15, 2026
What’s Included: Pre-show coaching, pro sound/lights/backline, live feedback from industry proferssionals
Experience Categories: Beginning (10–15), Intermediate (14–19), Advanced (17+)
Application Link: https://fest.formstack.com/forms/2026_musikfest_music_industry_conference_call_for_bands
Conference Info
Overview/Info Link: https://www.musikfest.org/lineup/musikfest-music-industry-conference/
2/15/26
Hershey Symphony Young Artist Competition Opens for Submissions October 1
The Hershey Symphony is proud to open applications for the 2026 Young Artist Competition on October 1, 2025. The competition is open to all students enrolled in grades 7 through 11 during the 2025-26 school year who reside or attend school in the following counties in Pennsylvania: Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York. Those who have entered our competition in the past are encouraged to compete again (past winners are excluded).
Entrants should prepare one movement of any concerto for solo instrument (including operatic voice) written with orchestral accompaniment. Competitors chosen for the finals are responsible for bringing their own piano accompanists.
Those selected as finalists for live audition will play in the finals before a panel of highly qualified professionals in late March, 2026, at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania. The winner will be announced that day.
The winner will receive the $1,000 William & Ruth Cagnoli Award and will perform their concerto with the Hershey Symphony Orchestra during the orchestra’s 2025-26 season, which commences Fall 2025.
For more information, visit https://hersheysymphony.org/hershey-symphony-yac/
3/6/26