Music Educators know the end of the academic year can truly be as crazy as can possibly be imagined. There are multiple performances, assessments, lots of tidying up for which there is never adequate time, and the melancholy realization that the graduating seniors are really leaving for good. As packed and emotional as that time can be though, its also a time to start looking forward, to planning the next year. If it’s been a particularly good year there’s always a feeling of "how can I top this?" There are also many years when we’re all searching for more effective ways to handle the many challenges we face.

While planning for the next year is both challenging and exciting, perhaps even more important is planning for the long-term future. We face so many mounting challenges today. Many of those challenges have been discussed in our forums during the past few years. We’ve discussed curricular challenges now facing all higher ed teacher education programs, and the best part is we’ve shared some of our approaches and solutions with each other. We’ve also taken a look at some national research concerning these challenges, most notably the controversial "Levine report," and the response to those difficult suggestions in the "Wise report." Most recently we’ve looked at new innovative programs specifically here in Maryland to integrate the arts into all classrooms, particularly at the elementary level. That program, the Maryland Artist/Teacher Institute (MATI), is expanding in many ways. Links to these discussions are on the MCUMEA Journal website at http://www.mmea-maryland.org/html/MCUEA_journal.php?id=5.

Interestingly, many foundations are doing significant research related to arts education and the brain, particularly arts education and cognition. The Dana Foundation is a great example: http://www.dana.org/news/publications/publication.aspx?id=10760.

Surely significant change is at hand. Interdisciplinary attitudes are very likely the wave of the future. One thing suggested at an MCUMEA forum a couple of years ago was that true interdisciplinary thinking may best be started right within music departments. Healthy cooperation and collaboration between members of the Music History, Theory and Performance components will surely enhance the future music educator’s own integrated attitude when developing ways to deal with the very complicated classroom of the future. That sort of integration is a lot easier at smaller institutions, but not impossible at larger schools if the value is truly recognized.

However institutions respond to the myriad national, state and local pressures on music teacher curriculum and scheduling, we will clearly be in the most advantageous position if we take the lead. Such leadership is certainly possible through groups such as the Higher Education in the Arts (HEAT) force now exploring new inter-institutional cooperative options. The coming years should offer amazing new pathways to maintain the magic in not only music classrooms, but in all classrooms.

I wish you all a wonderful end of this year, a great summer, and time to find new inspirations for both the year to come, and for the coming decades as well.