Issue link: http://saihq.uberflip.com/i/1498727
sai-national.org • Spring 2023 5 SAI Patroness Angelica Brooks, Founder and CEO, hosted the inaugural conference for her non-profit organization, The Table Music Education Corporation at the University of Southern California on March 10-12, 2023. The 3-day conference event, in partnership with the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and the USC Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee, focused on discussing barriers and disparities in the recruitment of music educators of color from pre- service students to practitioners in the field and how to retain and support music teachers and professors of color. Participants included academic professors, music program leaders, music education teacher mentors, and non-profit organization members who discussed how this is an issue of social and educational justice through examining the methods by which music educators of color are recruited and how we can better address their retention in the field through mentoring and sustainable best practices. The guest facilitators included: Dr. Mackie Spradley, Immediate Past President for the National Association for Music Education (NAfME); Dr. Deb Confredo, President-Elect for NAfME; Judith Hawkins, Music Administrator for Prince George's County Public Schools; Emma Watson, Policy Director for Board 7 with the Los Angeles Unified School District; Dr. Tomisha Price Brock, President and CEO of Prodigious Music Concepts; and Joan Maze, CEO of Work Wellness Academy. Attendees commented on how this conference was much needed and conveyed their overall satisfaction with the event. One stated, "Everything discussed by the panelists deeply resonated with me. These issues are urgent, ongoing, and will require all of us coming to the table to solve. Thank you for making these connections through this inaugural conference." Participants were able to attend in person and online on a "pay-what-you-can" scale thanks to the support of sponsors like Conn Selmer, Inc., NAfME, Postmates, the USC JEDI committee, College Music Society, and many others. The Inaugural Table Music Education Conference For more information on the conference, please visit www.thetablemec.com Facebook: @thetablemec Instagram: thetablemusiced Music Notes