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Spotlighting the creative work happening in Iowa classrooms and communities
 🌟Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards
On May 28, the stage of the Civic Center came alive in a statewide celebration of theater arts education. The Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards, a Des Moines Performing Arts initiative, supports and celebrates the talent and dedication of students involved in high school musicals across the state through professional workshops, adjudicated reviews, and the culminating awards showcase. This year's showcase drew hundreds of student performers representing more than 90 Iowa high schools, each sharing highlights from their award-winning productions. Learn more about the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards and this year’s Triple Threat honorees–performers recognized for their excellence in acting, singing and dancing.
 🌟 Pella HS Marching Dutch headed to DC for the nation’s 250th Independence Day Parade
The Pella HS Marching Dutch are traveling to Washington DC to participate in the nation’s 250th Independence Day Parade! Students will also be able to be on the National Mall for the National Orchestra concert with fireworks over the capitol, along with many other sightseeing opportunities and museum visits.
🌟 West Des Moines Hosts 6th Grade Festival Choir
The K-6 elementary music team of West Des Moines Community Schools (WDMCS) hosted another year of its 6th grade Festival Choir. This event brings together 6th grade choir members from 8 elementary schools to rehearse with a guest conductor and perform together for parents, teachers and the community. This year our guest conductor was Ted Brimeyer. The festival was on Thursday, May 14th. View a feature on the festival on WDMCS social media.Â
Do you have a celebration to share? Send your performances, projects, premieres and proud moments–big or small–to diana.hawley@iowa.gov to be featured next month.
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The Iowa Alliance for Arts Education is sponsoring an Arts Education Leadership Institute at the Gateway Hotel & Conference Center in Ames on June 15-16, 2026. The purpose of the event is to train up-and-coming arts educators in our state to become leaders in their schools, communities and state/national organizations. All expenses (registration, hotel, meals) will be covered by grants from the Iowa Arts Council, Arts Midwest and IAAE. The event will start at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 15th and conclude at 4:00 p.m, on Tuesday, June 16th. In addition to leadership training, the event will provide networking opportunities with other fine arts teachers and the current arts education leaders in our state. The Leadership Institute participants will include participants from the Art Educators of Iowa, Iowa Bandmasters Association, Iowa Choral Directors Association, Iowa Music Educators Association, Iowa High School Speech Association, Iowa String Teachers Association and Iowa Thespians. Please direct questions about IAAE or the Leadership Institute to iaae.communications@gmail.com.
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June 29-30 & July 1, 2026
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Fostering Music Literacy in Rehearsals and the Music Classroom
Carol Krueger and Jill Wilson, clinicians
Urbandale, IA Public Schools
Satellite Location: University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, WI
Virtual and In-Person Options Available
For more information contact: Dr. Jill Wilson, (563) 387-2148, wilsji01@luther.edu
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 Spend a week exploring the world of digital music production in this hands-on summer minicamp led by Dr. David Haas June 8–12! Students will learn the fundamentals of creating, recording and editing music using Logic Pro, exploring everything from beat-making and MIDI instruments to audio recording and mixing. Through guided projects and creative experimentation, participants will produce their own original tracks or remix work by some of their favorite artists. No prior experience is required—just a passion for music and creativity! Equipment and software will be provided by the University of Iowa School of Music.
Registration now open at https://iowasummermusiccamps.uiowa.edu/mini-camps
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On behalf of the Iowa Choral Directors Association, we are thrilled to invite you to join us for the 2026 ICDA Summer Symposium on July 20-22 on the campus of Central College in Pella, IA.
This year, we invite you to join us as we explore our conference theme: Foundations. As your 2026 Co-Chairs, we believe that in an ever-changing educational landscape, it is vital to return to the core principles that sustain our art. Whether it is the physiological foundations of the voice, the historical foundations of the masters, or the relational foundations we build within our communities, this symposium is designed to ground us in what matters most. Continue reading about the 2026 ICDA Summer Symposium.
Adam Orban & Jason Heitland
2026 ICDA Summer Symposium Co-Chairs
 Honing Your Craft: Bridging Traditional Techniques and Contemporary Art Education
Art Educators of Iowa 2026 Fall Conference | Des Moines, IA, October 2 & 3, 2026
In a world that is constantly evolving, "honing your craft" means more than just practicing a technique. It means staying at the forefront of contemporary art trends while mastering the foundational skills that define our discipline. We aim to reframe the way that traditional craft media is taught by centering student creativity, voice and choice.
 Submit a session proposal for the Art Educators of Iowa 2026 Fall Conference. Call for proposal closes June 15th. Notice of acceptance will be emailed to the primary presenter by June 30.
 The latest issue of Iowa Music Educator is ready. This one is about what music teachers risk in front of their students and what happens when they take that step. In this issue:
- Unlock the Power of Improvisational Singing – Melody Brooks shares how vocal maps, guided visuals, and puppets can build singing confidence and make improvisation a natural part of daily music instruction.
- The Music Zombie Problem – Kevin Droe explores three ways ensembles become lifeless and what teachers can do to bring energy and expression back into performance.
- Supporting Your Music Classroom Using DonorsChoose – Rose Schmidt Riley walks through how she's raised thousands of dollars for instruments and supplies through crowdfunding, with practical tips for getting started.
- You'll also find a message from IMEA President-Elect Michael Prichard and a report from the Iowa Choral Directors Association.
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Download Iowa Music Educator (IME) Volume 79, No. 2
Please share this issue with colleagues and future educators, even if they aren't IMEA members.
The more voices involved, the stronger the impact on students and communities.
 The JamZone just got a major glow-up. If you haven't heard of it, think of JamZone as the PBS of music education—it’s Music Will’s free digital resource hub where any teacher or student in the country can find song charts, lessons, classroom resources, and more, regardless of where they teach or what their school budget looks like.
The new JamZone is built around how teachers actually teach.Â
- Easily find songs, lessons, and classroom-ready resources
- Save and organize your favorite resources so they're ready when you need them.Â
- Generate class codes that give students direct access to curated songs and lessons—so kids can explore and practice more independently, on their own time.
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With Music Will’s new JamZone, there’s less searching and more music-making.Â
If you’re new to Music Will, check out the Getting Started with Music Will page for information on professional learning, special events, resources, and more.Â
Curriculum and instruction are local decisions within Iowa's requirements and supported by recommended standards. Links to external opportunities or materials are for general awareness and do not constitute endorsement or recommendation.
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Keeping the Iowa fine arts education community informed and connected
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Iowa Music Teachers Association 2026 State Conference | June 7-9, 2026 | University of Iowa, Iowa City
World Music Drumming Workshop (Levels I, II & III) | June 21-26, 2026 | Prairie High School, Cedar Rapids
First Iowa Orff | Orff Schulwerk Teacher Education Course (Level I) | June 15-26, 2026 | Drake University, Des Moines
Fostering Music Literacy in Rehearsals and the Music Classroom | June 29-July 1 | Urbandale Community School District Offices & Virtual, Urbandale
Iowa Choral Directors Association (ICDA) Summer Symposium | July 20-22, 2026 | Central College, Pella
All-Iowa Show Choir Performance | July 20, 2026, 11:00 am | Douwstra Auditorium at Central College, Pella
All-State Jazz Choir Performance | July 20, 2026, 4:00 pm | Douwstra Auditorium at Central College, Pella
Iowa Thespian Leadership Day | August 8, 2026 | Boone High School, Boone
Iowa High School Speech Association (IHSSA) | Judges/Coaches Workshop | August 15, 2026 | (Virtual)
Know of an event, conference, or opportunity for Iowa fine arts educators? Send it to diana.hawley@iowa.gov to be included on The Iowa Arts Education Calendar.
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Diana Hawley, DMA
Education Program Consultant, Fine Arts
Bureau of Academic and Learner Supports
Iowa Department of Education
Grimes State Office Building
400 E 14th St
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-371-0410
diana.hawley@iowa.gov
https://educate.iowa.gov
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