Music Educators Hall of Fame

Guidelines for Nominations

The Music Educators Hall of Fame was established in 1984 to honor those music educators who, by virtue of their contributions, are of such significant stature that they are considered to be among the most highly regarded professional leaders in American music education.

The contributions of those inducted may be in such fields of specialization as music pedagogy, scholarship, administration, or organizational leadership, and must be of lasting value. The Hall of Fame is a vehicle to inform the general public of the achievements of the music education profession, and to provide recognition of the profession's most outstanding individuals. It is also an important means of preserving the most notable aspects of the heritage of music education in the United States.

Nominations to the Hall of Fame are solicited each biennium. MENC membership is required of neither nominees nor nominators. Living nominees must be at least 55 years of age, and must have a record of sustained contributions to the field. Nominations will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Contribution:

Has the nominee made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of music education?

Eminence:

Have his or her achievements in teaching, administration, research, or creation of music education materials distinguished the nominee from his or her contemporaries?

Influence:

Has the nominee's influence been of major significance to the profession, even though contributions may have been confined largely to a single field of specialization (e.g., strings, teacher education, jazz, research)?

Permanence:

Is it probable that the nominee's accomplishments will continue to be valued by music educators of the future?

Any music educator may submit a nomination for the Hall of Fame. A letter of nomination should be no more than one page in length. It should summarize the most important contributions of the nominee to music education and explain why he or she deserves induction into the Hall of Fame. A letter of nomination for a living nominee may, but need not, be accompanied by a curriculum vitae. If a curriculum vitae is submitted, the nominee will be given an opportunity to revise and update it. If no curriculum vitae is submitted the nominee will be invited by MENC to submit one. A letter of nomination for a deceased nominee, however, must be accompanied by a curriculum vitae. No nomination will be considered until a curriculum vitae for the nominee has been received.

The curriculum vitae must include the following information:

1. Full name, address, phone number, and year of birth, if living; or full name and years of birth and death if deceased
2. Educational background
3. Teaching and administrative experience
4. Professional organizations (specifying leadership roles)
5. Professional service (including, e.g., performing, conducting, addresses, lectures, master classes, workshops, consulting)
6. Publications, research, and creative work
7. Honors and awards

Each curriculum vitae will be edited in order to achieve a consistent style and format before being forwarded for consideration by the Hall of Fame Board. The maximum length permitted is two pages, as edited, or approximately 700 words. For more information on the selection process, including the criteria for induction, click on the link “Music Educators Hall of Fame Purpose and Procedures” below.

Nominations should be sent to Marlynn Likens, MENC, 1806 Robert Fulton Drive, Reston, VA 20191, or e-mailed to marlynnl@menc.org. Persons named to the Hall of Fame will be inducted at the biennial national in-service conference of MENC, which takes place in each even-numbered year. The deadline for nominations for each induction is February 1 of the preceding odd-numbered year. Nominations received after the deadline will be held for consideration in the next biennial cycle.

Do not assume that an individual you believe should be included in the Hall of Fame is already a member or that someone else will nominate him or her. Check the list of Music Educators Hall of Fame Honorees by clicking on the link below and submit a nomination if your candidate is not included.

Music Educators Hall of Fame Honorees
Music Educators Hall of Fame Purpose and Procedure