Welcome! We are thrilled to join the North Carolina Music Educators Association (NCMEA) in presenting its 2021 Convention.

North Carolina’s approximately 1,450,000 K-12 students are lucky to have access to music programs led by dedicated band, choral and orchestra directors like you. From the Outer Banks to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and every point in between, we applaud how you showcase your Tar Heel pride as you map out innovative ways to engage and educate your students. Thank you!

The North Carolina Music Education Association conference gives us an opportunity to connect with all of you and to remind you that Yamaha is your partner in music education, not just through our great instruments and professional audio products but also with resources, support and professional development. We know how difficult this past year has been as we have navigated through these uncertain times, and we want to express our appreciation and gratitude for everyone involved in making this conference possible. We want to continue to hear about your programs and learn about you and your specific needs to see how Yamaha can partner with you to help.

Stop by and say hi to me in the exhibit hall. We’ll be showing some new instruments in the booth, including the Harmony Director, the YBS-480 Baritone Saxophone, and the MS-9414 Marching Snare Drum.

If you need help or have additional questions, please feel free to reach out directly to me at afrank@yamaha.com. Sign up for the Yamaha Educator newsletter to access advocacy, professional development, information on instruments, resources, partnerships in education and more.

Have a wonderful conference!

— Adam Frank, District Manager, School Services Division, Yamaha Corporation of America

Yamaha Master Educator: Michael Pote, Director of Bands, Carmel High School (Carmel, Indiana)

• Session Title: “Yamaha Harmony Director 101”
• Session Date and Time: Monday, November 8, 12 – 1 p.m.
• Description: The New Harmony Director HD-300 combines the HD-200’s powerful ear training with dynamic new educational features and a simplified user interface. The addition of a mobile app that can act as a stand-alone tuner as well as a hardware controller makes the new HD-300 a complete package that can not only make a teacher’s job easier but also help their students play “IN TUNE, IN TONE, IN TIME and at the CORRECT VOLUME.”

Through the Yamaha Educator Suite blog site and SupportED magazine, Yamaha reaches thousands of educators with professional development tips, advice and resources. If you have questions or need help finding resources for your program, email us at educators@yamaha.com.

Here is a sampling of our top professional development articles:

• Post Pandemic-Planning Guide
• Celebrating Excellence in Music Education — “40 Under 40”
• 3 Tips to Start a Mariachi Program
• Try this Creative Composition Activity
• The ABCs of Classroom Management
• Quick Start Guide to Dorico
• Funding Resource Roundup
• Tips to Manage Workload and Find Work-Life Balance
• Work with Music Dealers to Enhance Your Program
• Build Diversity in Your Repertoire
• Dealing with Difficult Band Parents
• The Yamaha Master Educator Collective: Learn from Distinguished Teachers