By: Piper Crabtree
The National Association of Music Education, or better known as NAfME, is an organization that supports vocal and instrumental classrooms. Members in NAfME grow relationships and connections with other like-minded individuals, develop strong skills that will help in their future or current careers, and allow people to discover their creativity. St. Norbert College is the home of the NAfME Chapter #296, where students of all majors can support music education in current and future classrooms.
This past semester, Kaliyah Garania was elected President of the chapter. Kaliyah is a music education major from De Pere and has been a part of the club since her freshman year. She has previously served on the e-board as the Treasurer and Vice President. When asked why she ran for president, she responded, “Because our NAfME organization has brought me all three that you mentioned: happiness, career readiness, and leadership experience! I love the friendships and connections I’ve made through NAfME. The conferences, field experiences, and professional development events have helped me feel more ready for my career, and I’ve also gotten to grow as a leader through the fundraising events we lead that give back to local classrooms.”
As a music education major, Kaliyah talks about how much NAfME prepares its members to be successful music educators through professional development opportunities and being actively involved with the SNC and community music departments. One of those opportunities allows members to spend a day in a local music classroom, observing the teacher and learning about how they run their program. NAfME also hosts workshops and brings in guest speakers such as Dan Gilanyi and Evan Marlowe to discuss how to lead and start marching, jazz, and show choir programs, since those are ensembles some music education students are unfamiliar with. Kaliyah goes on to discuss how even at regular club meetings, students are given the opportunity to lead group activities and share what they have been working on in their own teaching experiences. NAfME is a safe space to test new tactics for the classroom and receive feedback from other like-minded students.
For students not looking for a career in music, NAfME believes that including music within the curriculum for all students enhances skills such as creativity, communication, and collaboration. Kaliyah mentions that “being involved in music and understanding its power in building community and bringing out the best in us as humans can help you understand and be a better advocate for music education if you have experienced the importance of music in your own life.”
Kaliyah explains that honors students should be “driven to support music education because it’s a uniquely human experience that helps root us in our identities, connects us to ourselves, and connects us to others.” She believes that music is an essential part of everyone’s lives. Through exploring music education, we are able to dive deeper into what music is for us as individuals. Honors students can use music to decrease stress and enhance focus. It is also proven that music improves memory, creative problem-solving, and academic performance. Additionally, the Honors Program prepares students to thrive in environments similar to NAfME. The Honors Program allows students to grow in a close-knit community and build strong relationships with like-minded peers. It fosters values such as global and cultural awareness through specialized honors seminars and prepares students for post-graduation success, unlike any other organization on campus. Furthermore, Honors students often work closely with professors and develop strong and professional communication skills. They know how to express new ideas or perspectives after critical thinking, as well as take feedback and insights on how their peers see the same information. Kaliyah goes further to say that NAfME is a great opportunity to not only further develop and explore music, but it is also perfect for Honors students as it’s “community-oriented, service-driven, and always open to new ideas and creating new opportunities for our members”.
NAfME believes that music can connect people across all times and cultures, unlock creative expression, serve as a lens for different interpretations of the world, and be a foundation for human wholeness through our emotions, intellectual, physical, and spiritual well-being. Through this mission, SNC’s NAfME chapter can help all honors students support not only their personal growth but also the future of music education.
