The Department of Music and the UARK Collegiate Chapter of the National Association for Music Education are excited to host the seventh TEACH M.E. Music Education Conference, formerly the Northwest Arkansas Teach Music Conference on April 12-13 in the Lewis E. Epley Band Building. This event will bring area music educators, music education students and prospective students together to learn, share and reflect on music education today.

Daniel Abrahams, associate professor of music education and organizer of the conference, said he was excited to have guests discussing the value and importance of music education. "This conference presents an exceptional opportunity for us to convene, exchange ideas and glean insights on bridging differences in music education from some of the globe's most esteemed music educators and performers," Abrahams said.

Among a diverse selection of workshops and lectures aimed at enriching our understanding and practice of music education, we are honored to host distinguished members of the Silkroad Ensemble. Founded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the Silkroad Ensemble comprises artists from around the world committed to crafting music that fosters cultural collaboration and passion-driven learning, ultimately contributing to a more optimistic world.

The activities will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, April 12, with a workshop focusing on assessing students with differing needs in the music classroom with Alice Hammel, instructor of music at the U of A, along with a session titled Connection and Collaboration: Leaving Room for Failure and the Unknown with Karou Watanabe and Sandeep Das of Silkroad.

Saturday begins with part II of Hammel's presentation at 8:30 a.m. Hammel is a known pedagogue in music education and a respected author and advocate for children with special needs. Hammel is the co-author of two texts: Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs: A Label-free Approach and Winding It Back: Teaching to Individual Differences in Music Classroom and Ensemble Settings. Her residency also coincides with additional talks in the Department of Music as well as a special topics course in music education.

General sessions are planned after the morning workshop. Abrahams of the Music Education program will present "Supporting SEL Through Minecraft" beginning at 10 a.m. Senior music education major Abigail Tanner will present "Teaching Students with Cognitive Differences in the Instrumental Ensemble" along with "An Introduction to Japanese Music" by Kauro Watanabe during the 1:30 p.m. hour. Nikola Radan (U of A Music) will present "Music, Society, and Identity" along with Sandeep Das presenting "Living in Rhythm" during the 2:30 p.m. hour. The conference concludes with a free concert by the Silkroad's Train Station Trio at 7:30 p.m. in the Faulkner Performing Arts Center.

"This conference will showcase the high quality of music teaching happening at the University of Arkansas and provide an opportunity for participants to learn and share their experiences with other music teachers, students and supporters of music education," Abrahams said.

Participants in the conference are eligible to receive up to seven professional development hours from the Arkansas Department of Education. All sessions are free and open to interested attendees, but registration is required.

Visit cms.uark.edu/teachmusic for more information and details on registration.

The Silkroad Train Station Trio concert is generously supported by the McIlroy Family Endowment in Visual and Performing Arts and the RefleXions Music Series.