Idaho State University hosts the Idaho Music Educators Association Conference and All-State Festival

Over four days (February 1-4) the ISU Department of Music hosted both the Idaho Music Educators Association Professional Development Conference and the Idaho All-State Festival.

The annual conference was for Idaho music educators and collegiate future music educators, and included sessions, workshops, roundtable discussions, and performances by invited school music ensembles. Dr. Kandi Turley-Ames also provided a welcome at the opening session. Approximately 300 teachers and collegiates were in attendance.

At the same time, over 1000 student musicians were participating in the All-State Festival, which included 9 auditioned performing ensembles. The ensembles included an elementary Orff ensemble, elementary choir, middle school choir, jazz band, jazz choir, concert band, string orchestra, treble choir (women only), and a mixed choir. The ensembles were hosted in the Stephens Performing Arts Center, Pocatello High School, and Century High School.  Concerts began on Friday night, and all six through Saturday were standing room only.  

The ISU music students had a chance on Thursday night to present a Host Concert, showing off the ISU Civic Symphony, Wind Ensemble, Opera ISU, Concert and Chamber Choirs, the faculty Monarch Trio, and Jazz and Commercial groups to the All-State participants. The concert was received very well, and both teachers and students were impressed by our performances.  

The ISU Department of Music organized the event, making sure all of the spaces were reserved, solved many logistical issues, and made sure that all equipment needs were met. Many of our ISU students attended and participated in the event as future music teachers. An army of volunteers (music faculty, students, and staff) helped with the logistical issues and rose to the challenge of supporting such a massive event. The ISU Visitors Center supplied all of the participants with ISU swag. Dr. Thomas Kloss, coordinator for Music Education at ISU, has received nothing but positive feedback and praise for the way the event was organized and the fantastic impression ISU made during the event.