Take Note Tuesday - January 28

Thank you to everyone who attended the OkMEA Winter Conference in Tulsa. We had a little over 1400 attendees, presenters, conductors, exhibitors, Board, chairs, and conference staff in attendance. Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we piloted our new conference app. We will be making adjustments to ensure a smoother experience next year.

Please consider submitting feedback about the Winter Conference using the survey linked below. The OkMEA Board will be meeting in late February for a post conference review and will discuss the results of the survey as well as other feedback received throughout the event. Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts with us!

Take the Winter Conference Survey

Invoices will be sent for HS All-State registrations, conference registrations, Intercollegiate Band, and Intercollegiate Choir over the next few weeks. Please check with your district office. If you have questions, please reach out to Finance Director Jay Huffer with any questions at finance@okmea.org.

We are happy to announce Youth Arts Day (YAD) 2025 will be March 6th at the Oklahoma State Capitol Building. This will be a day of celebrating arts education in Oklahoma with opportunities for you to join your voice in advocating for the arts in Oklahoma schools. This event is jointly sponsored by The Oklahoma Alliance for Arts Education, Oklahoma Art Education Association, Oklahoma Music Educators Association, Oklahoma Thespians, Oklahoma Arts Institute, Oklahomans for the Arts, and Oklahoma Arts Council.

There are a series of events in place to prepare for the day. Please plan to join us!

NAfME Webinar - Amplifying your Voice: Advocacy Strategies - January 30 - 6:00 PM

The webinar is focused on music education, but the strategies can be used by all arts advocates.

Oklahoma Youth Arts Day Legislative Visit Prep Meeting – February 6 - 6:00 - 7:00 PM

In this virtual meeting we will work with Dr. Michael Raiber and Jazzmone Sutton on how to plan/schedule legislative meetings. We will address talking points and strategies for how to make the most impact in a legislative meeting. You will leave prepared to schedule meetings for your time at YAD.

We are planning our celebration ceremony for 11:00 AM in the Capitol Rotunda. There will be wonderful performances, speakers, awards, and more to highlight the impact of the arts on Oklahoma students and schools. We highly suggest you take time before or after this celebration and meet with legislators to advocate while you are there.

More details will be forthcoming as events are finalized. You can find all the latest information at https://okyouthartsday.org/

Please make plans to join us at the Capitol and make arrangements to have your voice heard. We need you!

Support Oklahoma. Support the Arts.

Thank you!

Dr. Michael Raiber
OkMEA Advocacy Chair

Session proposals are now open for the 2025-2026 OkMEA Conferences. Visit the OkMEA website to submit a proposal. All applications are due by April 30, 2025.

Submit a Session Proposal

If you have seen a session of interest at another conference and would like us to reach out to the presenter, please email your Division VP or the Executive Director (director@okmea.org) with the information.

OkMEA is now accepting nominations for the positions of Choral Vice President, Orchestra Vice President, and Higher Education Vice President. These positions will officially begin following the 2026 Winter Conference in January. Nominations are due April 30, 2025.

Submit a Board Nomination

We will be using the Band App to send out announcements and reminders throughout the year. Download the Band App to your device and search for OkMEA to join our community.

Click here to join our community - https://band.us/n.a6a2A1d9C8Hfe