It amazes me that October has already passed and November has arrived. As I write this message, the weather outside is just beautiful. I love autumn in Kansas. It is my favorite time of year, especially after the extreme heat we were forced to endure most of the summer. Very soon, KMEA District Mini-Conventions will be producing wonderful performances around our great state! Best of luck to all music teachers and their wonderful students as you prepare for auditions, honor group concerts, and upcoming fall and winter school concerts.

I also want to take this opportunity to remind every music teacher to participate in two very important KMEA advocacy projects highlighted below.

KMEA Survey: 2011 Impact of Budget Challenges on Music Programs in Kansas' Schools
Below is a link to a survey sponsored by KMEA to assess the impact of current budget challenges on music education in Kansas. It is crucial that KMEA receives a response from every school district in the state. Please identify one music educator as a representative from your school district to collect the necessary information and complete the survey no later than December 31, 2011. We hope all music educators will assist in providing this vital data.
https://surveys.ksu.edu/TS?offeringId=179727

KMEA Music Advocacy Network
In response to the challenges music programs in Kansas have faced in the past couple of years, and to prevent future threats, KMEA is developing a state-wide network of high-profile advocates who can be contacted at a moment's notice to help support music in schools on the district and state levels. We need your help to create this state-wide network of support. Your KMEA district presidents and district advocacy chairs are currently contacting all music educators and asking them to submit one or two names of high-profile music education advocates. These advocates should be influential in the educational, cultural, and business communities. They should also be knowledgeable about the validity of music education. For each advocate, please provide, as completely as possible, the information below to your District President. Remember to ask the advocate's permission to use his/her contact information.

Advocate Name:

Title:

Address:

City/Zip:

Phone Number:

E-Mail Address:

The primary objective of identifying and contacting these advocates is to offer additional support to music educators who provide quality music education in the schools. Music educators will be included in all communication regarding advocates, and will have final approval about what is communicated, to whom it is focused, and when it will occur. The Music Advocacy Network should be in operation by January 1, 2012.

Nancy Lynn Miller Townes, Director of Government Relations and Advocacy Communications for National Association for Music Education, contacted me this summer wanting to learn more about the exciting advocacy work KMEA is accomplishing. After our visit, I spoke with Fred Burrack, KMEA Advocacy Chair. Fred agreed to present both our Kansas Budget Cuts Survey and the Kansas Advocacy Network during a national NAfME webinar that was held September 20, 2011. Music Education Association leaders across the country listened as Fred did an outstanding job presenting this vital information and demonstrating how Kansas is leading the way in music advocacy. I would like to thank Fred and the KMEA Board for their vision and leadership as we pursue these projects with vigor. We need 100 percent participation from all music teachers in Kansas!

I am very pleased to announce the reopening of the Broadview Hotel in Wichita. The newly remodeled hotel is now taking room reservations for the 2012 In-Service Workshop, February 23-25. I am overjoyed to once again have the use of the beautiful ballroom, which will be home to the 1234A All-State Band rehearsals. KMEA looks forward to rekindling our wonderful relationship with this fine establishment.

Lastly, the 2011 Fall and Winter editions of the Kansas Music Review are online!!! You can view the online versions at: http://kmr.ksmea.org. Please review the online versions in the next few months and then fill out a short survey that will be available on the KMEA website in the near future. Based on the results of this survey, KMEA will keep EITHER the online version of the Kansas Music Review or the printed version only. We will not have both versions in 2012-13. Please fill out the survey so the KMEA Board will have enough responses to make a decision based on your preferences. The Board will vote on the future of the KMR in June 2012.

Take care, and if I can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Respectfully,
Craig L. Manteuffel
KMEA President