Above: At FMEA Collegiate Advocacy Day in March 2025, NAfME Collegiate students from FSU collaborated with other preservice educators and state legislators to advocate for an amendment allowing H. O. P. E. (physical education) credit to be offered to high school marching band and dance students toward the fulfillment of their graduation requirements. This amendment to current FLDOE standards was successfully enacted the following month with the passing of House Bill 1105. (Photo credit: Bob O’Lary)
Florida State University’s chapter of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Collegiate received the 2024-2025 Chapter of Excellence Award in the category of Service on June 10, 2025 in Washington, D.C. at NAfME’s National Assembly. This national distinction recognizes the exemplary contribution of student members to the wider music education community through the organization of impactful outreach efforts.
What is NAfME?
NAfME is a collaborative community that supports music educators and advocates for equitable access to music education. NAfME represents more than 50,000 active, retired, and future music educators teaching millions of students.
What is FL NAfME Collegiate?
FL NAfME Collegiate is the professional membership for future music educators. Through advocacy projects, professional development, and collaborations with colleges and universities throughout the state, NAfME Collegiate members are devoted to the advancement of music education and the creation of quality music educators.
Among several projects considered in the chapter’s selection, the annual District Pre-MPA Festival stands out as one of the student organization’s widest-reaching events. Managed by the chapter, this two-day festival welcomed over 800 student performers from 18 middle and high school bands to Opperman Music Hall, providing them with a realistic and supportive performance setting in preparation for district assessments.
Left: Under the direction of Mr. Lee Commander, the Leon High School Band warms up in Lindsay recital hall in preparation for their Pre-MPA performance. Right: Students attending Pre-MPA with their band have the opportunity to play on stage in Florida State University’s Opperman Music Hall. (Photo credit: Loanne Masson)
“Pre-MPA is like our test run,” says Lee Commander, Director of Bands, Leon High School. “It helps the kids shake off the nerves and see where we really stand before the big day. It’s huge for their confidence and shows us exactly what to focus on to improve.”
The event also fostered collaboration across the College of Music and offered student volunteers hands-on experience in leadership, logistics, and educational service—skills that extend beyond the traditional classroom setting.
“Hosting a Pre-Music Performance Assessment (Pre-MPA) festival at the Florida State University College of Music offers valuable opportunities for both local school bands and FSU students,” says Dr. Mark Belfast, Chapter Advisor for NAfME Collegiate at FSU. “It provides middle and high school band students and their directors a meaningful chance to perform in a supportive environment, receiving constructive feedback from experienced adjudicators to help refine their musical preparation ahead of formal assessments. At the same time, members of NAfME Collegiate at FSU gain hands-on professional development experience by organizing and managing the logistics of a large-scale adjudicated event—building skills in event coordination, communication, and music education leadership.”
Additionally, the student-led FSU Summer Music Camps T-Shirt Fundraiser generated over $13,000 in chapter revenue, which was used to cover the costs of student participation in professional development conferences throughout the academic year. The chapter also donated more than $3,000 back to the Summer Music Camps Scholarship Fund to support student access to music education.
Left: NAfME members take shifts selling T-shirts and welcoming student participants during FSU’s Summer Music Camps. (Photo credit: Loanne Masson)
The chapter further targeted their service efforts this year toward the advancement of K-12 music programs in the Tallahassee region, partnering with local high schools to provide weekly individualized instruction to beginning band students, including students with disabilities, in collaboration with school educators. Students also raised $1,455 for the music program at a local Title I middle school, enabling the purchase of instruments for students unable to afford them.
“It is our goal to extend the professional development opportunities we offer our students into the modern-day classroom,” says Kathryn Lang, President-elect of NAfME Collegiate at FSU. “By taking notice of and working to meet the needs of programs in our Tallahassee community, our members not only have the opportunity to make a real difference for teachers and students in our city, but also gain experience working with teachers in the field to overcome real-world administrative and instructional challenges that they may never be exposed to during university coursework.
“As we work together to overcome obstacles and experience in-classroom successes,” continued Lang, “we build skills and confidence that will empower us to lead effectively and continue to advocate for positive change when we are responsible for students of our own. Whether collaborating to fundraise for classroom resources or adapting instruction to the needs of students facing physical disability, students practicing advocacy through NAfME Collegiate outreach programs are encouraged in the mindset that our professional careers begin now – we ARE educators, and we don’t need to wait for graduation and placement to make a difference.”
To learn more about NAfME Collegiate and the work being done at FSU to support and advance music education in our schools, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
