2026 NSMEA - Collective Voices: Stronger Together

This session is intended for the tasks of ONLY the planning and hosting team(s) of the Professional Association.

What’s the last wind band piece that truly surprised you—in the best way? If your programming has started to feel a little predictable, this session is designed for you! Join us for an engaging exploration of high quality wind band repertoire that goes beyond the standard titles while remaining accessible, effective, and rewarding. This session presents a curated selection of works across a range of difficulty levels, appropriate for beginning, developing, and more experienced bands. Featuring both emerging composers and well established voices as well as some Canadian gems, the repertoire highlighted balances musical depth with practical considerations such as rehearsal time, technical demands, and student engagement. In addition to specific repertoire recommendations, we will discuss repertoire resources for discovering excellent literature that may be unfamiliar or underperformed. Participants will leave with concrete ideas and renewed confidence to refresh concert programs and inspire students through meaningful, well chosen repertoire.

Mostly breaking away from traditional music reading, this workshop emphasizes a hands-on approach where participants will learn music aurally, directly from the conductor. This method quickly builds a sense of unity and musical inclusivity, allowing participants to focus on the shared experience of creating music together. The repertoire for this session is specifically chosen to be joyful, engaging, and perfect for building a strong sense of community within any ensemble regardless of age and ability. You will leave this session with a collection of ready-to-use Canadian and African traditional songs and practical techniques for teaching by rote, all designed to inspire a renewed sense of connection and joy in your own rehearsals. Whether you are a conductor looking for new repertoire or an educator seeking to engage students of all backgrounds, this workshop will provide you with the tools to create a powerful and unifying musical experience. No prior experience is required—just bring your voice and a willingness to connect through music.

The Canadian Music Educators’ Association/l’Association canadienne des éducateur·rice·s de musique invites you to attend the first ever research to practice session at the NSMEA 2026 conference. Join us for new and exciting developments in music education, featuring ideas from practicing teachers, graduate students, and university faculty, about how to bridge the gap between research and classroom practice. There will be opportunities for questions, discussion and potential future collaborations. Come for the research, stay for the community!

This session will look at how Acadian music evolved through the centuries, beginning with the 17th century families that settled in Acadie. The traditional folk music they brought from their homeland during the first several generations was an important part of their daily lives, and this music continued until the 1755 deportation. After the deportation, and resettling in eastern Canada the Acadian music developed into its own unique styles and themes. Artists in present day Acadian communities are part of an emerging culture and offering different styles of music. This session will enable participants to sing traditional folk music, play instruments, and listen to a selection of Acadian artists and groups. A printed hand-out of the songs and sources will be included.

Want to know how to keep students engaged in music class? Presenting songs & games, transitioning between activities, and effective management are all cover in this session. Be prepared to participate as Charlotte shares "how to" strategies and material to ensure a fluid musical experience for you and your students from start to finish!

How can we meaningfully and respectfully bring Mi’kmaq culture into our classrooms? Explore authentic ways to include Mi’kmaq traditions, focusing on what is culturally appropriate and building understanding. Discover practical strategies for teaching with respect and intention using Shawnee’s original repertoire incorporating Mi’kmaq language and cultural themes. Come, deepen your knowledge and uplift Mi’kmaw voices through music.

For Primary to Grade 12 Music Teachers: Explore the fundamentals of recording and music production. Learn to use step sequencing, MIDI, loop libraries, and free recording software to teach composition, arrangement, rhythm, time signatures, song structure, melody, harmony, and pattern evolutions in a new way! All you need is a laptop or iPad and a set of headphones. Printable resources will be provided in French and in English (Workshop is offered in English).

What does it mean to truly “know” a piece of music? When was the last time you felt students took ownership of a work in a way that allowed them to go beyond the notes and rhythms? This session invites music educators to reimagine large-ensemble instruction using the Comprehensive Musicianship Unit (CMU) model to teach repertoire. By connecting performance with theory, history, listening, and creative work, educators can guide students toward deeper understanding of their pieces and more expressive music-making. Participants will explore strategies that connect performance, analysis, context, and creativity, and leave with practical ideas for designing engaging, student-centered units around a single piece of music that will bring repertoire to life.

This session is designed for music educators who want to start or revitalize a jazz band but feel restricted by "standard" lineups. We will explore how to build an authentic jazz experience by focusing on flexible scoring, instrument substitution, and improvisational pedagogy rather. Whether you are in a small rural district or a growing program, this session will give you the tools to develop a groovin’ band!

Warm-ups for Focus, Fellowship and Function The first ten minutes of a rehearsal can accomplish so much more than just a "warm-up"; they set the emotional and technical framework for everything that follows. How do we move beyond the routine to create a space where students are focused, physically engaged, and connected to one another? In this session, we will explore and demonstrate a sequence of vocal technique, movement, listening, and focus exercises designed to transform a room of individuals into a unified ensemble. From storytelling to kinesthetic moves, we will consider how to prepare young musicians for the collective drive needed for a successful session.

Looking to give students more opportunities to experience music through movement and express themselves artistically? This engaging session on Teaching Dance for Understanding offers practical, hands-on activities that students of all ages will love. Come ready to move—wear comfortable clothes as we bust a move together!

Want to build a middle school choir program but need help getting started? There's a lot to think about from finding catchy, suitable repertoire to dealing with changing and expanding voices. Choir programs can help middle school students build community, confidence, self-awareness and other skills that are so important in this stage of their development. Explore some of the challenges, get fresh ideas and hot tips that have proven successful in school and community settings, and come away ready to inspire and engage! Let's fill our middle schools with singing!

All string teachers are welcome to join us and play through some Cape Breton tunes of Lee Cremo. Shawnee Paul will discuss the particular style of Lee Cremo and it is sure to be a lot of fun.

Are you looking for ways to better support students with diverse learning, sensory, communication, and physical needs? In this session we will explore practical, music therapy informed strategies that help create inclusive and successful music classroom experiences for all learners. Classroom routines, visual supports, sensory accommodations, and thoughtful adaptations can increase engagement and participation while helping students feel seen, understood, and capable. Drawing on techniques commonly used in music therapy, you will leave this session with practical tools, activities, and strategies that can be implemented right away. You will gain increased confidence and concrete ideas for supporting your most vulnerable students.

This workshop will highlight some approaches and practices that have proven successful at Riverview High School for building a culture of students jamming, weekly performances, and creativity. Besides weekly coffeehouses, other program features discussed will be “variety” band concerts, band class and band trip jams, collaborative band arrangement project for graduation, small ensembles, kid’s song project and small ensemble seasonal concert approach, and general Music 10 and Music 12 course approaches.

Join us with your instrument as we are treated to a session of thematic repertoire of all levels selected by Ardith Haley.

This session will feature an open rehearsal of the Nova Scotia Youth Choir, an auditioned group of singers from ages 16-25 from across the province. Join us as we explore a variety of repertoire and rehearsal strategies that promote ensemble, tone, balance, interpretation, and student engagement.

Designed in particular for early career educators, this session is meant to share a wealth of ideas on how to develop a supportive atmosphere of singing in the elementary music program. Maureen will share foundational activities, routines, repertoire, and resources that all promote confidence in singing for all, from the youngest singers in Grade Primary to those in Grade 6 (and beyond!) As research overwhelmingly reveals that children learn significantly better from live, face-to-face interaction over screens, singing with peers in music class offers a spectacular opportunity to experience music in a fully human way, making new lifelong learnings that last long after music class is over. Whether your own comfort zone includes the act of singing or not, this session promises to model the same supportive atmosphere for singing that it is encouraging in the elementary music classroom. Come along and sing…sing a song…sing out loud and sing out strong!

This session will look at how Acadian music evolved through the centuries, beginning with the 17th century families that settled in Acadie. The traditional folk music they brought from their homeland during the first several generations was an important part of their daily lives, and this music continued until the 1755 deportation. After the deportation, and resettling in eastern Canada the Acadian music developed into it's own unique styles and themes. Artists in present day Acadian communities are part of an emerging culture and offering different styles of music This session will enable participants to sing traditional folk music, play instruments, and listen to a selection of Acadian artists and groups. A printed hand-out of the songs and sources will be included.

Want to know how to keep students engaged in music class? Presenting songs & games, transitioning between activities, and effective management are all cover in this session. Be prepared to participate as Charlotte shares "how to" strategies and material to ensure a fluid musical experience for you and your students from start to finish!

This practical workshop is designed for string and ensemble teachers seeking effective strategies for developing strong technical foundations in school orchestra programs, particularly for those with students who don't have access to private instruction. Topics will include posture and setup, bow hold and tone production, left-hand development, intonation, shifting, vibrato , and rehearsal techniques for addressing common technical challenges in large ensemble settings. Participants will gain practical tools, warm-up ideas, and teaching approaches that can be immediately applied in beginner through advanced school orchestras.

Looking for new ways to energize your music lessons and engage students? Drama games are a fun and effective way to build confidence, encourage collaboration, and deepen musical understanding. In this interactive session, you’ll explore a variety of drama-based activities that support rhythm, expression, listening, and performance skills. Be ready to move, laugh, and play—these games are easy to implement and adaptable for all ages!