President’s Note: August/September 2024
This time of year, I tend to be full of inspiration and goals, with (just a touch) of nerves. As I’ve undertaken this new role of MAME President this summer, I’ve felt those same feelings about serving all of you and our upcoming MAME year. To maintain the inspiration part of that equation, I focus on what energizes me and my teaching. One of the most vital pieces for me is to have a community—and that’s where MAME comes in.
I’ve been inspired lately by Jacob Collier, a phenomenal, classically-trained musician that has taken the internet by storm in recent years. He defies all attempts at categorization, by collaborating with countless musicians from every genre, playing dozens of instruments/styles (sometimes multiple at the same time), and creating multi-part choirs from his audiences. You can feel an almost electric energy through many of these videos, as hundreds, sometimes thousands, are inspired by his (and each other’s) music-making.
Obviously, MAME members coming together will look different than Collier’s concerts. But when we gather, we build community. Whether it’s at MAME workshops, the state conference in October (join us!), or just chatting over coffee, we build something powerful. This sense of community makes our work both easier and more rewarding. It’s where we gain fresh perspectives and keep our passion for teaching alive.
Of course, community building is rarely convenient, and almost never easy. (I know that if I don’t decide early to attend a non-required event, then something always comes up!) But when I do decide to be involved, to spend time with all of you, I am always glad that I did, and my teaching is better for it.
So, as we dive into this season, let’s keep that spirit of togetherness alive. Join us as we meet together, share your ideas, and don’t be afraid to ask for or offer help.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to rub shoulders with all of you, and I look forward to learning from you this year. Here’s to another great season of music, collaboration, and shared success!
Shad Ryan Wenzlaff
MAME President – he/him/his
Madison Area Music Educators
PO Box 44152
Madison, WI 53744
email: madisonareamusiceducators@gmail.com
website: www.madisonmusiceducators.org
Become a Member
MAME welcomes music educators and music appreciators of all instruments and backgrounds. We offer continuing education via workshops, masterclasses, and community for music teachers, as well as performance opportunities, festivals, and competitions for your students. If you are in the Madison, WI area, we invite you to join our community of colleagues passionate about educating musicians of tomorrow!
MAME Communication
Nuances Overview: MAME’s monthly newsletter, called Nuances, publicizes upcoming MAME activities, summarizes previous events, includes feature articles, and other information. It is published each month from August through May, and it is distributed via email to members with active email addresses on file. June Nuances is published if necessary; there is no published issue in July.
Publication Deadline: Send complete, ready-to-publish submissions in paragraph format to nuances@
Advertising: Ad submissions for events to be published in Nuances are accepted via email. Placement and acceptance of advertisements are at the discretion of the Nuances editor. See the MAME website here or contact the Nuances editor for advertising rates.
Nuances Editor: Andrew Bocher
nuances@madisonmusiceducators.
MAME’s Publicity Coordinator helps us get the word out in the community about MAME events. Our Google calendar contains all member and board events. Please use the publicity email below to report changes or additions. If you have interesting articles to share on our social media pages, or if you would like to share relevant information to the membership, please email us at publicity@
MAME’s Facebook page can be found here:
https://www.facebook.com/
MAME’s public Google calendar can be found here.
Interested in Sponsoring our Organization?
Businesses, groups, or individuals wishing to sponsor MAME for the upcoming year are invited to return and complete this form. Your sponsorship is tax-deductible.
MAME gratefully acknowledges its 2023 – 2024 Sponsors
Platinum Sponsor: Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra; Heid Music and Heid Music Family Charitable Fund,
Gold Sponsor: Farley’s House of Pianos