Podcast 037 Advocacy with James Daugherty and Jeremy Tucker
North Carolina music programs are facing difficult times ahead. North Carolina's school districts face a budget cliff—the collision of expired federal COVID relief funds, declining enrollment, rising costs, and shifting state and local revenue. In this episode, NCMEA Advocacy Committee co-chairs James Daugherty and Jeremy Tucker join host Howie Ledford to break down how we got here and, more importantly, what music educators can do about it.
Topics include:
Defining advocacy and why it should start well before a program is threatened
Using enrollment data, attendance trends, and student stories to build a compelling case
Inviting legislators, board members, and community members into classrooms — not just performances
Why the December–February course registration window is make-or-break for secondary program numbers
Building coalitions with PTOs, athletic boosters, and other allies
New NCMEA resources, including a guide for when a program or position is threatened and talking points for administrators
NAfME's Music Education Rapid Response Plan
Reach the NCMEA Advocacy Committee anytime at advocacy@ncmea.net (mailto:advocacy@ncmea.net).
Link from show: https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardfowler/2026/08/04/americas-school-budget-crisis-isnt-ending-its-entering-a-dangerous-new-phase/
15 Aug 2026
Podcast 036 Matt Edwards
Episode 36: Mentorship, Music Publishing, and Mastering the Beat with Matt Edwards
In this episode, we sit down with Matt Edwards. Matt is the Mentoring Committee Chair for the NCMEA. He retired in 2025 after a 29-year career as a high school band director — 23 of those years spent teaching the band program at Fuquay-Varina High School in Wake County, NC. He is also in his 13th season conducting the Triangle Youth Brass Band, a nine-time North American Brass Band Championship winner.
We talk through the nuts and bolts of the mentoring program — how pairings work, who qualifies as a mentor or mentee, what a typical mentoring relationship looks like week to week, and how to sign up through the NCMEA website. Matt also shares the story of his own mentor, longtime director John Enloe, and how that relationship shaped both his teaching philosophy and his career.
We also step outside the podium to explore a lesser-known path in music: Matt's role as a copy editor for a music publisher, proofreading and refining scores before they reach conductors and students — a great reminder for young musicians that careers in music extend well beyond performing and teaching.
Finally, Matt walks us through his go-to rehearsal technique for building ensemble pulse and subdivision — a simple, tool-free "numbers game" he's used with all his classes.
1 Jul 2026
Podcast 035 Liz May and Scott Wynne
Episode Description
In this episode of the NCMEA Podcast, host Howie Ledford sits down with Professor Scott Wynne and Professor Liz May from Appalachian State University to discuss the upcoming Peak Summit.
The PEAK Summit (Professionals and Educators Audio K(C)onference) is a unique event hosted by App State in collaboration with the Carolina section of the Audio Engineering Society (AES). Designed specifically for audio industry professionals and educators, the conference offers advanced, vertical training, in-depth signal-flow analysis, and hands-on workshops—including DIY gear-building sessions such as assembling microphone boosters and tube amplifiers.
The guests highlight the schedule, the extensive list of high-profile industry sponsors (such as API, Solid State Logic, Shure, and DPA), and the event's educational value, including the availability of Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits for educators.
Dates: July 23rd – July 26th
Location: Appalachian State University (Hayes School of Music), Boone, North Carolina
Pass Options: All-access passes or individual day passes for Friday and Saturday.
For more information, schedule details, and registration, visit the official page mentioned in the episode:
music.appstate.edu/peaksummit
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