Nebraska C-NAFME

2027 COLLEGIATE HILL DAY FOR MUSIC EDUCATION

All Nebraska collegiate NAfME chapters are invited to join us the morning of Monday, March 30th at the Capitol Building in Lincoln to advocate in support of music education policy and equitable access for all students to music education in the classroom. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about our state legislature, visit with state representatives, and see firsthand how we as music educators can advocate for our students and art form. 

The date for the next Collegiate Hill Day for Music Education in 2027 has not been released yet. Please check back later for that information.

2026 COLLEGIATE SYMPOSIUM

The 2026 Collegiate Symposium will be held on Wednesday, November 18, at the Cornhusker Hotel in downtown Lincoln. Registration is $27 per student and includes tickets to the Awards Dinner on Thursday, November 19. Lunch is NOT included. Click the link below to download the Collegiate Symposium registration form. Registration forms are due November 2.

2026 Collegiate Symposium Registration Form

Special Note for Student Teachers: If you're currently student teaching, register for the conference through your C-NAfME chapter. On the form, you'll have the option to list your cooperating teacher's name and the school where you're student teaching.

• If you provide that information: Pick up your name badge at the main conference registration desk at Embassy Suites.
• If you don't provide that information: Pick up your name badge at the Collegiate Symposium check-in at Cornhusker Hotel.

SYMPOSIUM SESSION INFORMATION

Collegiate Keynote Presentation - The Room Where It Happens: Get in the Room
Speaker: Ann Usher
12:45 pm, CH Grand Ballroom

Becoming the Music Educator You Want to Be

Dr. Ann Usher is Professor Emerita at The University of Akron, where she served as Interim Dean of the Buchtel College of Arts & Sciences (2025–2026) following her 2024 retirement as Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies. As Professor of Music, she taught music education courses and supervised student teachers, and directed the School of Music (2012–2016; interim, 2018–2019). Before joining Akron's faculty in 2000, she taught public school choral music for eleven years. Usher served as President of the Ohio Music Education Association (2020–2022), guiding the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, and held numerous offices in OMEA and the Ohio Choral Directors Association. She was guest conductor for OMEA's inaugural All-State Children's Chorus in 2014 and has led honor choirs nationwide. She retired in 2020 after twenty seasons as director of the Cleveland Orchestra Children's Choruses, preparing them for performances under conductors including Franz Welser-Möst and Pierre Boulez. She holds degrees from the University of Northern Iowa and Kent State University.

Ready for the Podium: Landing Your First Job in Music Education
Presenter: Marc Decker
1:45 pm, CH Hawthorne

Graduation will be here before you know it—are you ready to land your first job? This session will help future educators prepare materials and explore strategies needed to stand out in the hiring process. We’ll reverse-engineer job descriptions to understand what employers are seeking, and how to craft resumes and cover letters that highlight your strengths while aligning content with the school’s mission and community needs. Participants will review sample application materials, learn strategies for tailoring documents to specific positions, and practice answering common interview questions. Leave with practical tools, stronger application materials, and greater confidence as you search for your first job.

Marc Decker is an Associate Professor of Music and the Associate Director of Bands/Director of Athletic Bands at Florida Atlantic University where his duties include directing the Marching Owls, "Parliament Sound" Pep Band, and Symphony Band, and teaching courses in music education and conducting. A native of the Midwest, he holds both an MM and DMA from the University of Iowa. Dr. Decker is an active guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician, and has published articles and presented at professional conferences throughout the nation on a variety of topics including wind band repertoire, music teacher preparation, and pedagogy. He is a Past-President of the Florida College Music Educators Association, and active in many professional associations.

Everything Plus the Kitchen Sink: Life In A Small School Music Program
Presenters: Anna Harveson & Elly Wolfe
1:45 pm, CH Arbor 1

All about surviving—and loving—small school music programs. This session is designed for collegiate music education students preparing to begin their careers. The reality of teaching in a small school is often overlooked—many teachers are responsible for wearing multiple hats, from elementary music to secondary ensembles and everything in between. This session will help prepare future teachers for the realities of small school music jobs, including an elementary music survival guide for secondary majors, lessons we wish we knew before starting our careers, strategies for balancing multiple responsibilities, and practical tips for building a thriving program in a small-school setting. Participants will leave with realistic expectations, strategies, and encouragement to love teaching in a small school music program.

Ms. Anna Harveson is in her second year of teaching at Conestoga Public Schools. A recent graduate of Doane University with a degree in music education, Ms. Harveson brings enthusiasm and dedication to her multifaceted role. At Conestoga, she directs the high school and junior high bands, teaches guitar, 5th-6th grade general music, and beginning band, and serves as a director and choreographer for Conestoga Elementary's musical. Originally from Scottsbluff, Nebraska, Ms. Harveson was inspired by many exceptional music educators to pursue a career in music education. She now resides in Plattsmouth and in her free time enjoys hanging with friends and her beloved pets, baking and traveling.

Mrs. Elly Wolfe is in her second year of teaching at Potter-Dix Public Schools in western Nebraska, where she serves as the K–12 music educator. In this role, she teaches elementary music along with beginning band, junior high band and choir, and high school band and choir, while managing all aspects of a small school music program. As a graduate of Doane University, Mrs. Wolfe is passionate about creating meaningful music experiences for students and building strong, sustainable music programs in rural communities. A native of western Nebraska, she values the opportunity to serve the region she calls home while balancing life as a teacher and mother of two (Hudson and Bentley) with the support of her husband, Austin.

What is DMC?
Presenter: Melissa Nierman
1:45 pm, CH Arbor 2

As a first-year teacher who originally grew up in a different state, there were many aspects of my job my first year teaching that took me by surprise. I was teaching 6-12 band, and I didn’t understand how many of the extra activities worked, especially since my only experience in these activities was from a different state that ran things differently. I’m originally from South Dakota, so how All-State, college honor bands, contests, and conferences worked were vastly different than Nebraska. Yes, many educators encouraged me to ask questions, but there were aspects I didn’t know I needed to ask about. What is a District Music Contest? What’s a conference honor band? How does All-State work? It’s recorded? What colleges in the area provide honor bands? What does state marching look like? Who do I need to ask to request a van? I would like to provide a session that seeks to address these questions for first year teachers / college students who are becoming educators to help prepare them for what teaching secondary music is like.

Melissa Nierman is in her 4th year of teaching at Raymond Central Public Schools. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2023, and taught 5-12 band her first two years at Raymond Central before adding choir in her third. Originally from South Dakota, she was active in All-State ensembles and honor bands in high school, and was a member of the Cornhusker Marching Band and Wind Ensemble in college. She is a member of NSBA, NCDA, and NMEA, and in 2026 she received the NSBA Jack R. Snider Young Band Director's award. She currently lives in Lincoln with her husband.

I Just Took Over a Program...Now What! : Embracing Tradition and Forming Your Own Path
Presenter: Damon Lamberty
3:00 pm, CH Hawthorne

Getting your first job out of college is one of the most stressful parts of becoming a new music educator. This session seeks to provide new music educators with the social skills and tools necessary to be successful in the early years of their careers.

Damon Lamberty received his BA in Music Education from Doane University in 2017, and his MM in Instrumental Conducting from the University of South Dakota in 2019. He later began his career in public education in Casper, Wyoming in 2019. After serving as 5-12 instrumental instructor at Cambridge Public Schools, Lamberty joined Schoo Middle School in 2023 as the 6-8 band director. In 2024, Lamberty became the instrumental director at Lincoln Northeast High School.Lamberty has guest conducted instrumental ensembles throughout Nebraska, focusing on music in small ensembles in rural Nebraska districts. He has presented clinics on student teaching, taking over a new program, and finding your voice as a young educator. As an arranger, Lamberty writes wind and percussion book for marching bands, show choirs, and string orchestras.When not at school, Lamberty enjoys science fiction novels, video games, and cooking with his husband, Jon Marquez-Lamberty.

Deep Thoughts With DOJO: A View From The Finish Line
Presenter: Doran Johnson
3:00 pm, CH Arbor 1

They say hindsight is 20/20—but the view from the finish line offers even greater clarity. After “going the distance” in a 37-year career in music education, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect deeply on what truly worked, what didn’t, and what mattered most.

Over the past year, I’ve shared many of those reflections in a weekly email to colleagues and friends titled Deep Thoughts with DOJO. In this session, I’ll expand on those insights and translate them into practical, applicable strategies for today’s classrooms. Together, we’ll explore ways to build authentic ensemble commitment, strengthen both student and teacher motivation, and keep students consistently at the center of the teaching and learning process.

This session is equal parts reflection and roadmap—designed to encourage, challenge, and equip music educators at every stage of their journey.

After 37 years teaching choral music in Iowa and Nebraska, Doran Johnson recently retired from the classroom. His career concluded at Westside High School in Omaha, where he led a comprehensive Choral Program and served as Performing Arts Department Chair. Although retired, Doran remains deeply connected to the choral world, serving as a clinician and adjudicator across the country. He is also enjoying a new adventure as a student travel planner, combining his love of education, music, and travel.

Surviving & Thriving: The REAL Guide to Your First Years of Teaching
Presenters: Kaylee Moe & Micah Schut
3:00 pm, CH Arbor 2

Teaching music can feel overwhelming, especially when the realities of the job differ from what new educators expect. Surviving and Thriving offers guidance for navigating those critical early years, with honest discussion about the challenges young teachers face, in and out of the classroom. This session includes understanding school culture, building productive relationships with administrators and staff, establishing effective classroom procedures, and managing the logistics of calendars, travel, fundraising, and communication. The session also addresses rehearsal-based classroom strategies, choosing appropriate repertoire, and balancing performance expectations with student growth.

Kaylee and Micah share real experiences as a K-12 music teacher and a 6-12 vocal teacher, common first-year mistakes, and practical systems that help new teachers stay organized, protect themselves professionally, and avoid burnout. Attendees will leave with strategies, tools, and perspectives that help them not just survive their first years of teaching, but thrive and build a sustainable and fulfilling career.

Kaylee Moe serves as the K-12 vocal and instrumental music teacher, varsity girl's wrestling coach, and junior high speech coach at Bancroft-Rosalie Community Schools in Bancroft, Nebraska. She is a Spring 2022 Wayne State alumnus and is completing her Master's at UNK. This is her fifth year teaching, second year coaching wrestling, and fourth year coaching junior high speech. She also coached one-act, high school speech, and junior high track for 2 years. The programs at Bancroft have grown rapidly since she began in 2022. Kaylee presented at the 2024 NMEA conference and was awarded the NSBA Jack R. Snider Outstanding Young Band Director award in 2025. Outside of teaching she stays plenty busy participating in community theater, directing a chiming group, bowling league, and performing with the Nebraska Brass Band and the Omaha Symphonic Winds. She enjoys spending time at home with her dog, partner, and video games.

Micah Schut began his tenure at Ogallala Public Schools in Ogallala, Nebraska as 6-12 Vocal Music Director in the fall of 2021. Micah pursued a PK-12 Vocal/Instrumental Music Education degree from Wayne State College. Currently, Micah is studying for a Master of Music in Music Education degree from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio with which he intends to offer dual credit courses to his high school students. Micah has dedicated his time to fostering a love and appreciation of music for all who connect with the vocal music ensembles at Ogallala Public Schools. In addition to directing ensembles, Micah restarted the musical theater program at Ogallala High School. Under his direction, this program has become an anticipated event every spring. In his free time, you can find Micah supporting performing arts events around Ogallala, traveling to visit family, or simply enjoying a peaceful evening at home.

COLLEGIATE CHAPTER OF DISTINCTION AWARD