Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access

The purpose of the MMEA DEIA Committee is to foster inclusive music opportunities, curricula, and professional development that celebrates exceptionalities, identities, orientations, and cultural backgrounds.  For questions, comments, concerns, or ideas, please email Tom Westmoreland, DEIA Chair, at DEAI@massmea.org

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DEIA Subcommittees:

• Equitable Audition Practices & Procedures (Including mitigating bias)

• Diverse Composers, Conductors & Clinicians

• New Student Performance Opportunities

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Changes to Date: 

• Development of a DEIA Committee with three subcommittees 

• New listening sessions focussing on DEIA at the 2022 and 2023 All-State Music Educator Conferences 

• Addition of the Culturally Responsive Teaching Editorial Board Member for the Mass Music Educators Journal 

• MMEA By-Laws were changed at the 2022 MMEA General Membership Meeting at the All-State Conference and included: 

  • Addition of a DEIA representative with voting rights on the MMEA Executive Board starting in 2024-2025

  • Anti-bias training for all MMEA Executive Board Members​

  • Changing all occurrences of he/she to they/them 

  • All working groups of the MMEA All-State must be open to all members of the membership, including the nominating committee for Executive Board positions.  This is to reduce gatekeeping in the organization.

• Implementation of the following new rubric for All-State Conference workshop presenter applications:​​