Press Release - Dr. Lynn Brinckmeyer Assumes Presidency
Dr. Lynn Brinckmeyer Assumes Presidency of MENC: The National Association for Music Education
More than 120,000 Members Welcome New President and President-Elect Barbara Geer for Two Year Terms Leading the World™s Largest Arts Education Association
RESTON, VA (July 6, 2006) -- MENC: The National Association for Music Education welcomed Lynn Brinckmeyer as its 60th elected president on July 1, 2006. Dr. Brinckmeyer is Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Music Education at Texas State University. Her degrees include a Bachelor of Science in Education and Master of Music Education from Eastern New Mexico University, and a Ph.D. in Music Education from The University of Kansas.
Brinckmeyer™s past service to MENC includes President for the Northwest Division, Music Educators Journal Editorial Board, Washington Music Educators Association General Music Curriculum Chair, and Conn-Selmer University Advisory Board. At Texas State University, she teaches courses in choral music education and directs University Singers. Previously she taught elementary music and middle school choir in New Mexico, later moving to higher education in the Pacific Northwest. She has conducted, lectured, presented master classes and performed across the United States, in Korea, Taiwan, Amsterdam, Italy and the British Isles.
As president of MENC, Dr. Brinckmeyer is focused on several exciting projects, including the culmination of The National Anthem Project and MENC™s Centennial Celebration, both in 2007. She has chosen the slogan Touch a Life “ Teach Music as the theme for her presidency. We know that to nurture and educate the whole child, music must be a vital part of the school curriculum, she wrote in her first letter to the MENC membership. If we are to have music in the curriculum, we need music teachers. Brinckmeyer sees the slogan as illustrating the unique way music teachers can influence the lives of their students.
Lynn Brinckmeyer and Barbara Geer are dynamic, focused leaders who will work hard to ensure MENC™s mission of music for all remains at the forefront of education policy. Both educators bring years of experience in leadership positions in teaching and performance, said John Mahlmann, MENC executive director. These skills will guide us in the right direction as we approach our 100th anniversary in 2007.
Barbara Geer™s presidency will begin July 1, 2008. She is a music consultant in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County (North Carolina) School System who has taught elementary, middle and high school vocal, instrumental, and general music. In addition to her instructional duties, she has served as a supervisor of the secondary band, choral and orchestra programs and provided extensive mentorship for collegiates and new teachers. She received the BME degree from St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg (North Carolina) and the MM degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has a distinguished record of state and national leadership experience.
Because MENC™s centennial is approaching, we have a unique opportunity to reflect on music education™s journey and evaluate our own reasons for teaching music, says Brinckmeyer. Our core mission is to ensure that every child receives music instruction.
For more information, call 1-800-336-3768, or visit www.menc.org.
MENC: The National Association for Music Education, the world's largest arts education organization, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. More than 120,000 members represent all levels of teaching from preschool to graduate school. Since 1907, MENC has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. MENC's activities and resources have been largely responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education.
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