Wisconsin Music Educators Association 2021 Conference

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Yamaha Staff

September 29, 2021

Welcome! We are thrilled to join the Wisconsin Music Educators Association in presenting its 2021 Convention.

Wisconsin's approximately 855,000 K-12 students are lucky to have access to music programs led by dedicated band, choral and orchestra directors like you. We applaud how you embrace the traits of your state animal, the badger — independence, persistence and confidence — as you map out innovative ways to engage and educate your students. Thank you!

Meet Toby Thomas

The Wisconsin 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 the past year and a half have been as we have navigated through these uncertain times. We want to express our appreciation and gratitude to 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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 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!

— Toby Thomas, District Manager, School Services Division, Yamaha Corporation of America

Professional Development Clinics at WMEA

Yamaha Performing Artist: Andy Reiner, violin/fiddle

Session Title: “Fiddling Around with Composition”
Session Date and Time: Thursday, October 28, 11:30 a.m.-12:40 p.m.
Description: Engage your student in composition with style – fiddle style! In this session, we’ll dissect fiddle tunes to find out what makes them tick, explore different composition strategies and discuss how to use melodic development to turn a small phrase into a coherent fiddle tune.

Yamaha Performing Artist: Jean Laurenz, trumpet (Seraph Brass)

Session Title: “Singing Through the Wind Instrument”
Session Date and Time: Friday, October 29, 1:00-2:15 p.m.
Description: As both a singer and brass player, Laurenz will discuss the connection between wind instruments and the human voice. She will highlight topics on expression, breath support and text painting/diction/articulation. She will also focus on ways to develop the inner ear and how to cultivate a connection between song and wind.

Professional Development Resources

Through the Yamaha Educator Suite blog site and SupportED magazine, Yamaha reaches thousands of educators with professional development tips, advice and resources. Here is a sampling of our top professional development articles.

If you have questions or need help finding resources for your program, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..