SoundForge 2026
This will be an exciting opportunity for students to learn with professional musicians in NC and perform for a supportive and enthusiastic audience. All applicants must fill out the information below to be considered for the event. Applying for the event does not guarantee you will be invited to participate. Space is limited.
The event will be hosted at Catawba College (Salisbury, NC) on April 11th, 2026. This is a one day event with a concert at the end of the day.
Teachers are responsible for travel to and from the event, including lodging (if needed). Lunch will be provided the day of the event. Large equipment such as amps, microphones, drum sets, and keyboards will be provided as well.
Teachers are limited to 2 groups for the event. Please submit a new form for any additional ensemble you are applying. A $200 submission fee will be required if your application and audition recordings have been accepted and you are invited to participate in event.
Deadline to submit applications is March 6th, 2026 and notification of acceptance will be March 13th, 2026.
All inquires should be sent to:
Co-Chair: Jonathan Kladder ([email protected]) &
Co-Chair: Andrew Beach ([email protected])
We Need Your Help
We would love to make contact with teachers across North Carolina who are teaching popular music as we grow our program! Please fill out the interest form and our committee leaders will be in touch periodically to help build our network and to share resources and opportunities so we can better support you.
Popular Music Interest Form:
https://forms.gle/KehKRhXNGGrppdeA8
Popular Music Committee Proposal
North Carolina Music Educators Association
January 4, 2023
Updated: June 1st, 2023
Mission Statement
The popular music committee is committed to recognizing, embracing, and advocating for popular music at the state music education level in ways that contribute meaningful, relevant, and innovative opportunities for all students and teachers who desire to learn, perform, or teach popular music in their classrooms.
Purpose Statement
As a committee, we recognize and acknowledge popular musicians and performance mediums that include popular music. We seek to provide professional development opportunities for popular music educators at the state level and create inclusive and diverse music learning spaces, where wider conceptions and understandings of music making in the music education community can exist that align with NCMEA’s goals for equity and inclusion at the state level. We stand for expanding notions of pedagogy, providing place/space for music educators to learn from innovative popular music educators in community, and support meaningful popular music learning spaces within their school/workplace. We believe that all students should have access to a well-rounded music education, which includes popular music education. We recognize that systemic injustices continue across our society, including in music teaching and learning. Our committee seeks to counteract systemic injustices and promote a culture of belonging for students and teachers interested in learning and performing popular music.
Goals
- To offer a place and space for popular music educators to learn about emerging pedagogies;
- To advocate and provide place for popular music to exist within the state music education conference;
- To advocate and provide support for emerging popular music educators, or music educators interested in teaching popular music;
- Advocate for equitable access to high quality, comprehensive musical experiences for all students in North Carolina;
- To be more inclusive of musics beyond the Western-European Art canon;
- To advocate for marginalized musicians and music educators, who are often outliers in the profession of band, orchestra, and choir;
- To offer affordable or free online resources for current or emerging popular music educators;
- To offer scholarships and funding opportunities so that popular music educators and their students are able to attend NCMEA PD and performance opportunities;
- To offer a community for popular music educators to come together, share with one another, and learn from each other.
Activities
The activities of this group include:
- Support presentations and workshop sessions specific to popular music education at NCMEA’s annual state conference.
- Develop and integrate new initiatives through NCMEA’s annual state conference, including special sessions and Singer/Songwriter and Music Producer Showcase.
- Maintain a social media presence for networking and promotion of ideas related to popular music in PK-12 and higher education.
- Support the development and integration of workshops for popular music groups across the state, including initiatives like SoundForge: A Popular Music Collective.
- Propose and present special sessions (Webinars) for popular music educators around the state.
- Outreach to music educators who are not a part of NCMEA, who are popular music educators looking for a community of popular music educators, professional development opportunities, or support for teaching in their school(s).
- Create music-making opportunities in popular music styles for music teachers and their students across North Carolina.
Co-Chair: Jonathan Kladder, Ph.D.
[email protected] &
Co-Chair: Andrew Beach
[email protected]