History

1989

  • High School All-State Jazz and Show Choir established
  • Golden Anniversary Celebration of the Arizona Music Educators Association, Phoenix
  • Current membership of AMEA: 800

1988

  • Operational grants received from Arizona Commission of the Arts
  • Official Arizona Music Educators Association logo designed and adopted

1987

  • Vice President for Elementary/Jr. High School Activities added to AMEA Board of Directors

1986

  • Re-establishment of independent Arizona Music Educators Association In-Service Conference
  • High School All-State Jazz Band established

1985

  • Vice President for High School Activities added to AMEA Board of Directors

1983

  • Arizona Music Educators Association formally incorporated
  • First Annual Summer Leadership Planning Retreat, Tucson

1981

  • President-Elect added to AMEA Board of Directors

1979

  • First Marching Band Festival organized
  • Elementary/Junior High School Music Festivals established
  • Retired Teacher Cadre organized

1975

  • Regional Festivals established

1974

  • First Arizona Music Educators Association and Arizona Alliance for Arts Education joint In-Service Conference, Phoenix

1973

  • Arizona Music Educators Association became affiliated with the Arizona Alliance for Arts Education

1969

  • Higher Education Section organized
  • Vice President for Arizona Interscholastic Association Activities established
  • Arizona Music Educators Association Convention became independent of Arizona Education Association

1967

  • Arizona Interscholastic Association Music Advisory Committee organized

1966

  • Raymond G. Van Diest appointed first State Music Supervisor in Arizona by Dr. Sarah Folsom

1965

  • State Music Advisory Committee appointed by Dr. Sarah Folsom, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

1964

  • Silver Anniversary Celebration of the Arizona Music Educators Association in Tempe
  • Music Educator of the Year Award established
  • Special membership project yielded 200 additional members (total membership exceeded 500)

1959

  • General Music Teachers Association organized

1956

  • Arizona Bandmaster’s Association name changed to Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association
  • Volume 1, Number 1 of Arizona Music News published; Ralph Hess and Kenny Mack, editors

1955

  • First major revision of the Arizona Music Educators Association Constitution

1953

  • MENC Western Division Conference held in Tucson
  • Choral Section of AMEA organized

1951

  • Ralph Hess elected President of the Western Division of the Music Educators National Conference (first president from Arizona)

1949

  • Name changed from Arizona School Music Educators Association to Arizona Music Educators Association
  • Official delegation from AMEA attended the California/Western Division Conference in Sacramento
  • The first Arizona all-state band was held in the Spring of 1949. Band directors from across the state sent the names of their best students to a committee that selected a balanced ensemble with representation from each school. Additional musicians, especially double reed players, were drafted from Arizona State Teachers College, Tempe.  The horn section consisted one horn; the rest were mellophones.  William Revelli was hired to direct the band in rehearsals on Friday evening and Saturday. The concert was scheduled for Sunday afternoon, after church services. Two days before the concert Revelli cancelled because he was going to interview for a job at Illinois. Ralph Rush, conductor at USC, agreed to come on short notice and direct the band.

1948

  • Arizona Bandmasters Association established.  Many men returned to Arizona from WWII with the desire to teach high school band. Believing that ASMEA was not meeting their needs, Felix McKernan, the director of bands at Arizona State Teachers College, Tempe, organized a meeting of band directors in 1948. Thirty high school band directors attended this meeting. This is pretty remarkable considering that there were less than 60 high school band directors in the whole state of Arizona at the time. At this meeting the Arizona Bandmasters Association (ABA) was organized with Lynn Fitzgerald as the first president. For the next several years ASMEA considered ABA to be a splinter group and a considerable amount of friction existed between the two groups.

1946

  • ASMEA activities resumed.  After WWII state conventions were once again held, and music teachers viewed them as a time of rejoicing and of having fun together.  There were many performances by soloists and ensembles, the highlight being the “table singing” that took place at the banquets. 

1942

  • State meetings and activities suspended for four years during World War II

1941

  • First High School All-State Choir organized and performed at Arizona Education Association Convention
  • Arizona School Music Educators Association designated as the official music teacher organization within the Arizona Education Association

1940     

  • First High School All-State Orchestra organized and performed for the General Session of the Arizona Education Association.  
  • Arizona School Music Educators Association affiliated with Music Educators National Conference.  Shortly after the 1940 convention ASMEA President George Wilson wrote the Superintendent of Public Instruction informing him that ASMEA would organize and run the music activities for the 1941 convention. From that time forward ASMEA (AMEA) was recognized as the “official” public school music education organization.  At the November of 1940 convention, ASMEA declared the intention of affiliating with MENC. This was confirmed by MENC the following month.  In 1940, yearly dues of $4.50 entitled you to membership in ASMEA (AMEA) and MENC and the Music Educators Journal. 
  • First High School All-State Band Festival at the University of Arizona

1930’s

  • The first Arizona school music teacher organization was formed in 1936 as the “Band Association.” In 1937 the name was changed to “The Band and Orchestra Association.” Because so many instrumental music teachers also taught choir and because some choral teachers felt miffed by not being a part of the organization, in 1938 the association was expanded and the name was changed to the “Arizona School Band, Orchestra, and Choral Association.” 
  • In November of 1939 the organization formally reorganized as the Arizona School Music Educators Association (ASMEA) with Eldon Ardrey, of Arizona State College, Flagstaff, as the first president.  
  • The first all-state orchestra performed at the November 1939 state education in-service. The orchestra was organized to showcase music students and teachers. The orchestra performed at the state in-service until the United States entered World War II and all activities, meetings, and travel were severely restricted.

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