Sunday, November 15, 2026

Monday, November 16, 2026

Tuesday, November 17, 2026

Wednesday, November 18, 2026

ROOM  210 There are No Bad Choirs

Our singers are only as capable as the expectations set for them. Conductors and music educators are catalysts for the type of musician we expect to leave each of our rehearsals or programs. This session will explore the many hats a chorus leader wears in order to produce the best possible musician, artist, singer, and human in our rehearsals. Participants will walk away with tried and true methods that can be immediately applied to any rehearsal of any age.

ROOM 214              Conference Master Class

The MMEA/ACDA Master Class session offers master-level instruction as three solo vocalists work one-on-one with a renowned vocal clinician in this interactive session. Each singer will present a prepared piece and receive personalized coaching focused on vocal technique, stylistic interpretation, diction, and stage presence. The session will provide valuable insight into the pedagogical process behind preparing vocalists for performance, offering attendees a front-row seat to real-time musical and artistic growth. This master class is ideal for vocal instructors, choral directors, and music educators interested in solo vocal development. Attendees will gain practical tools and strategies for diagnosing technical issues, guiding interpretive choices, and supporting young artists on their journey from rehearsal to the stage.

ROOM 216              Developing Creative Musicianship for Little Learners

Our youngest students can have big musical ideas. In this session, I will present ways to develop students’ musical creativity in order to increase the level of rigor in their musical thinking. Instructional techniques, activities, and repertoire will be scaffolded from PreK students up to advanced 2nd grade students. Attendees will leave with a variety of classroom activities and repertoire ideas to support developmental foundational musicianship and an understanding of how to sequence and scaffold these activities to support developmentally appropriate creative musicianship practices. By the end of this session, attendees will be able to describe, adapt, and create developmentally appropriate classroom activities that enhance student rhythmic and tonal development and that facilitate the development of students’ creative musicianship skills.

ROOM 227             Collegiate

THEATRE               Victor Johnson

ROOM 210 Orchestra

ROOM  214 Navigating Artificial Intelligence: Insights from Music Professionals

Artificial intelligence has become one of the most discussed topics in music education. Based on findings from a completed doctoral study of 137 musicians and music educators, this presentation offers a research-based snapshot of current AI use, training experiences, and professional engagement with artificial intelligence.

ROOM 216 Arts Integration: The Natchez Trace 

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ROOM 227 Exploration! Improving Choral Tone with Vocal Placement Techniques

THEATRE "T&T": Texts and Tunes to "ignite" your Middle School Choir

ROOM 210 Orchestra

ROOM 214 When Tradition is Not Enough: Reimagining Choral Programs to Today's Students

Learn practical ways to rethink repertoire, rehearsals, performances, and student leadership while holding on to the traditions and musical excellence that still serve your singers.

ROOM 216 Play to the End

Using Music Games to Motivate, Manage & Teach

ROOM 227 Understanding the F-Word

This session focuses on the tenets and benefits of Feminist Pedagogy and how student development can be facilitated by incorporating it into the rehearsal space. 

THEATRE Music Literacy in the Choral Rehearsal Part I

The lasting impact of a choral program is ultimately measured by the musicians it develops. This two-part session explores a framework that places music literacy instruction at the center of every rehearsal, equipping students with the knowledge and skills to learn music independently throughout a lifetime of choral music participation.  Part I establishes the pedagogical framework for integrating music literacy development into every aspect of the choral rehearsal through aural, visual, and written instruction, immersive rehearsal strategies, and meaningful assessment.

Part II brings these concepts to life through a live demonstration with high school singers. Attendees will observe the framework in practice as singers work through the process of preparing new repertoire using literacy-centered rehearsal techniques.

As music educators, we should aspire to leave our students better equipped to learn for themselves than to depend on being taught. This session presents a framework for developing a choral program whose hallmark is producing musically literate, independent singers prepared to engage with choral music professionally or avocationally.

CONTEMPORARY/COMMERCIAL CONCERT SESSION

MASTERCLASS PERFORMANCES

ROOM 210 Good Orchestral Citizenship 

This panel of Mississippi State University faculty will discuss what it means to be a good orchestral citizen and provide examples for students to consider at all levels.

ROOM 214 Focused Passion:Conducting Gestures that Serve and Inspire

As a prelude to the publication of his upcoming book Foundational Conducting: showing, listening, serving (Routledge, Taylor & Francis, 2026), Ian Loeppky proposes a conducting gesture that is focused on the musical intention of the composer to inspire player and audience member alike. Participants will explore and implement this simple, “less is more” practice; elements of expression (primarily tempo, articulation, and dynamic) are focused in both hands—eschewing self-distracting extraneous movements—to inspire one’s collaborating musicians to serve the music to its utmost. Whether one is used to conducting every day or only occasionally, this participatory workshop will explore making the most of one’s gestures to make the best and most passionate collaborative music possible.

R0OM 216 Improvise Now:Speech Based Improvisations in the Elementary Music Room

ROOM 227 Building a Program Through Relationships

Starting your first music teaching position can be overwhelming, and success depends on far more than what happens in the rehearsal room. This session explores how intentional relationship-building with administrators, classroom teachers, counselors, office staff, custodians, parents, and students can strengthen your program and create lasting support across your campus. Learn practical strategies for earning trust, advocating for your program, and building a positive school culture where your ensemble is valued. When more people are invested in your success, recruitment improves, students feel greater pride in their program, and opportunities for funding, scheduling, and collaboration become much easier to navigate.

THEATRE From Ensemble to Community: Building a Choral Tradition that Matters

ROOM 210

ROOM 214 Classroom Management in the Choral Rehearsal

The choral classroom is a unique environment and managing one's choral classroom is key to maximizing a choir's potential. 

ROOM 216 Sequencing Singing Games with Self Determination Theory in Mind

ROOM 227 Concert Programing: Balancing Education, Entertainment, and Enlightenment

The ideal concert should educate, enlighten, and entertain.  This session will offer helpful tips in concert programming that upholds the Mississippi Department of Education’s arts disciplines and learning standards, while also allowing our students and audiences to be inspired, grow in culture, and be uplifted.  To cultivate truly artistically literate citizens, a balanced concert must be achieved.  

THEATRE Closing Q&A Real Talk with Dr. Womack

ROOM 210 (Orchestra Session) TBA

ROOM 214 Beyond the Score:Fostering Authentic Expression Through Interdisciplinary Rehearsal

Fostering students' ability to perform with understanding, authenticity, and engagement can be a persistent challenge for choral music educators. An interdisciplinary approach to choral rehearsal pedagogy can cultivate critical thinking, empathy, and meaningful personal connections to repertoire, resulting in more compelling and expressive performances. This session will explore creative rehearsal strategies, adaptable for beginning through advanced ensembles, that strengthen students' emotive capacities while harnessing the joy of discovery in the rehearsal process. Participants will leave with practical, immediately applicable techniques for deepening student engagement and enriching musical expression.

ROOM 216 Sequencing Musical Concepts: Play It Before You Name It

ROOM 227 What I Wished I Knew

A panel of music teachers who've just begun their second year of teaching will gather to pass on what surprised them or what they felt unprepared for when they started teaching. From ensemble quality to student behavior to administrative matters to logistics to whatever, we want to take away some of the surprises that come from this profession. This panel session will be steered by Nick and Drew.

THEATRE A Mixed Bag of Choral Quick-Fixes

ROOM 210 What's In Your Toolbox

A practical session for current and future orchestra directors featuring tips, tricks, warm-ups, music, and in-person demonstrations. Participants will gain useful ideas and  strategies to take directly into their rehearsals and classrooms.

ROOM 214 Be a Lazy Genius Choral Director

Choir directors & music teachers juggle hundreds of decisions every day, yet many spend valuable time and energy on things that have little impact on student learning. Inspired by the principles of "The Lazy Genius Way" (Kendra Adachi), this session explores how to "be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't." Participants will examine rehearsal planning, classroom management, assessment, performance preparation, communication, and self-care through a lens of intentionality, leaving with practical strategies to reduce burnout while improving student outcomes.

ROOM 216 Putting It All Together: Creating Music Lessons that Flow

ROOM 227 Keep Calm...I have an Excel Spreadsheet for That

Every choir director has a system—whether it's sticky notes, random notebooks, or dozens of spreadsheets. If you're like me, you've probably said, "I have an Excel spreadsheet for that!" more times than you'd like to admit. In this session, I'll share the spreadsheets I've created to manage everything from student finances and travel to music inventory, auditions, uniforms, budgets, and concert planning. You'll leave with practical ideas, time-saving tips, and maybe even a few spreadsheets of your own.

THEATRE Cultures in Concert: Celebrating Diversity Through Choral Music

ROOM 210 MSOA Meeting 

ROOM 214 Prepare to Teach More Than Music

Building Relationships, Culture, and Musical Excellence in the Choral Classroom

ROOM 216 Yes Chef!

ROOM 227 Cleared for Take Off:Navigating Your Program Through School Leadership

Every successful flight requires more than a skilled pilot—it requires communication with the control tower. Likewise, every successful music program depends not only on excellent teaching but also on understanding and partnering with school leadership. This session explores practical strategies for building trust, communicating effectively, and navigating different leadership styles so your program can gain clearance for long-term success.

THEATRE Music Literacy in the Choral Rehearsal Part II

The lasting impact of a choral program is ultimately measured by the musicians it develops. This two-part session explores a framework that places music literacy instruction at the center of every rehearsal, equipping students with the knowledge and skills to learn music independently throughout a lifetime of choral music participation.

Part I establishes the pedagogical framework for integrating music literacy development into every aspect of the choral rehearsal through aural, visual, and written instruction, immersive rehearsal strategies, and meaningful assessment.

Part II brings these concepts to life through a live demonstration with high school singers. Attendees will observe the framework in practice as singers work through the process of preparing new repertoire using literacy-centered rehearsal techniques.

As music educators, we should aspire to leave our students better equipped to learn for themselves than to depend on being taught. This session presents a framework for developing a choral program whose hallmark is producing musically literate, independent singers prepared to engage with choral music professionally or avocationally.

ROOM 210 Musicians Health and Wellness Through the Lens of Body Mapping 

ROOM 214 Teaching Outside Your Specialty

ROOM 216 Monday Morning Lesson!

ROOM 227 Alternative Sightreading Activities

THEATRE Story Tellers: Engendering Humanity

ROOM 210 Beyond the Concert; Building a Music Program that Recruits, Retains, and Thrives

ROOM 214 Teaching the Young Ones: Elementary Teaching for the Non-Elementary Teacher

ROOM 216 Arts Integration: Teaching The Blues to Fourth Graders

ROOM 227 From Overwhelmed to Intentional:Building Sustainable Systems for 

Young Music Educators

THEATRE Balancing the Chaos of Music Education