Applications for the Fall FMEA awards are closed!

We invite you to complete an application for the Fall 2025 Future Music Educator Awards! If selected, you will receive a certificate, graduation cords, and will be recognized with your name and school information on our webpage and social media announcements.

Eligibility: Open to all Texas music education majors graduating Fall 2025 who are currently student teaching.

To apply:

1. Complete the questions on the Future Music Educator Award Application Form

2. Upload your current resume

3. Include the contact Information for a person willing to serve as a professional reference

All application materials are due at the end of day November 14th, 2025. 

Read below to learn more about our 2026 President-Elect and Member-at-Large candidates.

President-Elect Candidate

Crystal Lynn Gerrard-Ramirez 

Bio: Crystal Lynn Gerrard-Ramirez is an Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of North Texas, where she teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in instrumental music education. Before joining the University of North Texas, Dr. Gerrard-Ramirez held public school teaching positions in Lewisville and Grand Prairie, Texas. She earned degrees from the University of Texas at Arlington (BM), Southern Methodist University (MM), and The Ohio State University (PhD).

Dr. Gerrard-Ramirez has presented at state, national, and international venues. She has published articles in the Journal of Research in Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Contributions to Music Education, and Equity and Excellence in Education. Her research interests include asset-based pedagogies (e.g., culturally responsive and culturally sustaining pedagogies), social justice in music education, and music teacher education.

Dr. Gerrard-Ramirez currently serves on the Editorial Board for Contributions to Music Education and the Advisory Committee for Music Educators Journal.

Member-at-Large Candidates

Cody Knott 

Bio: Cody Knott currently serves as the Director of Bands for the Eastland Independent School District in Eastland, Texas, a role he has held since July 2022. In this position, he leads the Eastland High School Band program, directs the marching, concert, and jazz ensembles, and works closely with students, staff, and the community to build a strong, student-centered music culture. Prior to Eastland, he served as the Director of Fine Arts and Bands for the Caldwell Independent School District from 2018–2022. His responsibilities in Caldwell included overseeing all district fine arts programs, directing The Pride of Caldwell Marching Band, conducting concert and jazz ensembles, and supporting the professional growth and instructional success of fine arts educators across the district.

Dr. Knott holds a Doctor of Music Education from Liberty University (2024), a Master of

Music in Trombone Performance from the University of South Dakota (2012), and a Bachelor of

Music in Music Education from Tarleton State University (2010).

Alec Scherer 

Bio: Alec D. Scherer (BM, Lawrence University; MM, Boise State University; PhD, University of Missouri-Columbia) is an Assistant Professor of Music Education at Texas State University (TXST). At TXST, he teaches undergraduate and graduate music education courses, oversees the Masters of Music in Music Education degree program, and advises student organization chapters of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Collegiate Texas Music Educators. Dr. Scherer has presented music education research at state, national, and international venues. Recent presentations have included the Symposium on Music Teacher Education, Indianapolis, IN (2025); Music Research & Teacher Education NAfME Biennial Conference, Atlanta, GA (2024); the International Society for Music Education Conference, Helsinki, Finland (2024); and the International Music Perception and Cognition Conference, Tokyo, Japan (2023). 

His research is published in the Journal of Research in Music Education, International Journal of Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Research Perspectives in Music Education, and the Missouri Journal of Research in Music Education. Dr. Scherer currently serves as a member of the editorial board for Contributions to Music Education, as co-facilitator of the Program Admission Assessment and Alignment Area for Strategic Planning and Action (ASPA) within the Society for Music Teacher Education (SMTE), and as a member of the research committee of the Texas Music Educators Association. His research interests include democratic music education, instrumental rehearsal techniques, conducting, music perception, and preservice music teacher preparation.

Open Positions- President-Elect and Member-at-Large

About the Executive Board

All members of the NAfME-Texas Executive Board and Committee of Chairs are expected to attend virtual meetings every 6-8 weeks, attend the Annual Board Meeting and General Membership Meeting at TMEA, and work to support the mission and vision of the organization. For additional information about open positions, please see below, refer to the Constitution and Bylaws, or contact a member of the Executive Board. 

About the President- Elect Position

The President-Elect serves a two-year term beginning February 2026, followed by consecutive terms as President and Past President of NAfME-Texas.The President- Elect provides advice and insight to the Executive Board to support the mission of NAfME-Texas and serves as a representative at NAfME national events, such as the annual Leadership Assembly and Hill Day.

About the Member-at-Large Position

The Member-at-Large serves a two-year term on the Executive Board beginning February 2026. The Member-at-Large attends regular meetings of the NAfME-Texas Executive Board, develops initiatives to serve the needs of the members, and provides support to the Committee of Chairs. 

If you, or someone you know, is interested in being nominated for President-Elect or Member-at-Large, email a short bio, statment of interest, and headshot to nafmetexas@gmail.org

*Nominations due Monday January 5, 2026*

Click here for NAfME National News

The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) has officially launched Amplify, our newest online platform - and the largest community of music educators across the country!

As a NAfME Member, you will automatically be enrolled into this free, member-exclusive service. Amplify allows you to connect and converse with over 60,000 other music educators, leaders, and advocates. The platform also gives access to countless resources and community forums; perfect for young educators seeking information and advice from their peers, and perfect for seasoned teachers looking to mentor the next generation of music educators across the nation. From library resources to various discussion boards, you can stay informed - and stay connected - on Amplify.

Getting started on Amplify is simple:

• Go to community.nafme.org and log in using your NAfME username and password.

• You will be prompted to review and accept Amplify's Terms and Conditions.

• Edit your profile using your NAfME.org member username and password.

• Control what information is visible on your profile.

• Join/subscribe to communities of your choice - you will automatically be enrolled in Music Educator Central, our general community for all NAfME Members.

• Control the frequency and format of email notifications from Amplify.

You can visit Amplify's Quick Start Guide here, or check out our FAQ section for further information.

We hope that Amplify becomes both a vital resource and a vibrant community for all our NAfME members. If you have further questions regarding Amplify, please contact Member Services at 800-336-3768, or at memberservices@nafme.org.

We look forward to connecting with you on Amplify!

Sincerely, 

Mike Blakeslee

Executive Director

NAfME

Why join NAfME?

• NAfME Collegiate members have access to over 100 years of NAfME journals online. 

• Collegiate members receive a 25% discount on all resources available from NAfME, including publications, videos, and other items covering a wide range of music education topics. 

• Graduating Collegiate members can request regular NAfME membership at a special introductory rate (up to 50% off), when you begin teaching. Click here to learn more.

• NAfME Collegiate members may attend all national, division, and state conferences upon registration, which is usually offered to collegiate members at a significantly discounted rate. By attending conferences, Collegiate members have a place where they may associate with members of the profession and future music educators from other schools. The conferences provide a variety of activities for Collegiate members including clinical and formal sessions, special interest workshops, performances, and informal receptions

• NAfME invites all Collegiate members to attend the annual Collegiate Advocacy Summit and Hill Day in Washington, D.C.. This multi-day event includes an orientation to advocacy, legislative visits on Capitol Hill alongside NAfME state and national leaders, and intensive leadership training, plus numerous networking opportunities with student advocates and NAfME leaders.

Collegiate Chapters

• Information to start a chapter.

• Chapter materials