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