NCMEA resulted from a merger that occurred in 1970 between two professional organizations: the North Carolina Music Educators Conference (NCMEC) and the North Carolina State Music Teachers Association (NCSMTA). The list of presidents which follows represents those who have served since the inception of NCMEA.
- 1971-1973
- Hortense N. Reed
- 1973-1975
- Homer Haworth
- 1975-1977
- William G. Spencer
- 1977-1979
- Robert B. Gaskins
- 1979-1981
- Billiegene Garner
- 1981-1983
- Mary Jane Crawford
- 1983-1985
- Ralph B. Shumaker
- 1985-1987
- Reta R. Phifer
- 1987-1989
- Charles H. Gilchrist
- 1989-1991
- Barbara B. Bair
- 1991-1993
- John R. Locke
- 1993-1995
- Frank E. Williams
- 1995-1997
- Barbara L. Geer
- 1997-1999
- Fran Page
- 1999-2001
- William Crowder
- 2001-2003
- Earl Taylor
- 2003-2005
- Maribeth Yoder-White
- 2005-2007
- Constance L. McKoy
- 2007-2009
- Jerry Cribbs
- 2009-2011
- David S. Albert
- 2011-2013
- Sonja Z.M.Williams
- 2013-2015
- Richard Holmes
- 2015-2017
- James Daugherty
- 2017-2019
- Jazzmone Sutton