NEWS
Virginia Music Educators Association Lifetime Achievement Award
At our Virginia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference this year, I was honored to be named a Lifetime Achievement Award Winner for 2025. It is one of the highest honors of my life, and to have it be bestowed by J.R. Snow, Mike Horanski, and Jonathan Hargis made it even more meaningful. Thank you to all my friends, colleagues, and students (many of whom are now also dear friends). VMEA will always be in my heart, and the work we do continues to ignite my passion for offering music education to every single child. Thank you so very much. I love you, Bruce Hammel!
Shenandoah University Residency
I went “home” last week to Shenandoah University to teach my week-long residency. I adore the students at Shenandoah and am always excited to see how they are and what they are learning every semester. Here is a photo of the First Year Music Education Majors and the Senior Music Education Majors. I am also including a photo of the SC.NAfME officers hard at work for a trunk or treat!I am so proud of all of them.
#shenandoah #musiceducation #alicehammel
Florida Music Educators Association Conference
Thank you, FMEA, and Christine Lapka, for the beautiful spotlight before the conference in January. I am grateful and honored to be recognized, along with my co-author and colleague, Nerissa Regabay. I am looking forward to returning home in January and seeing all my friends and colleagues in Florida. See you there!
Lifetime Achievement Award
I was honored to receive the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award from my alma mater, Shenandoah University, this past weekend. It was a privilege to accept it in the company of many of my former teachers, current colleagues, and friends. We also had some to celebrate and have fun, including tailgating before the football game, seats in the presidents box, and more recognition on the 50 yard line at halftime. I am so proud to be a Shenandoah alumnus!
Inclusion Weyburn
Inclusion Weyburn was a sponsor for my trip, and the Weyburn Credit Union allowed us to use their space for two amazing days of teaching parents, educational assistants, child care workers, and teachers. I am so grateful to have been asked to be there, and now understand the Chappell Roan song “Subway” and her lyric “I’m moving to Saskatchewan.”
Delaware Arts Conference
I had a fantastic experience in Dover, Delaware, at the Delaware Arts Conference, and was honored to be chosen as their keynote speaker. To spend the day with music, art, theatre, and dance teachers was such a privilege. The teachers were dedicated and ready to provide arts-based education for every student in Delaware. It was fabulous!
Residency at the University of Regina, Saskatchewan
Thank you to the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada, for hosting me during my first trip to Canada! You were all so kind and enthusiastic about learning more, and I was energized by your significant presence for our evening together.
Teaching children in Weyburn, Saskatchewan
While in Weyburn Saskatchewan, I had the absolute privilege of providing teaching demonstrations for large groups of children. The children were a lot of fun, and I was grateful for the opportunity to teach them. I was also honored to be there during the time of Truth and Reconciliation. During this time, Canadians remember the Indigenous and First Peoples of Canada who were taken from their homes and sent to boarding schools. They wear orange in honor of the children who experienced this.
University of Miami residency
My first children’s book!
The description of the book is: A young girl who is awkward does not have friends to play with after school and on the weekends. One day, she starts riding her bike to a state park in Florida where alligators live in the swamp. Because she loves to read, she brings books with her in her backpack on Saturdays to read in the quiet of the swamp wildlife. One Saturday, an alligator floats up and stops. The girl reads out loud to the alligator. She continues to do this every Saturday for the alligators who stop to listen. Slowly, she begins to learn she has worth and there is value in what she says. The practice with the alligators leads to her learning she has a voice in the world and something to say. As an adult, the girl writes books and tells stories.
Article by Robert Lee.
This article was written by one of my friends and colleagues, Robert Lee. Thank you very much for your work! Read it here.
University of Miami residency
Orchestra teacher survey
The amazing Annie Ray and I are working on a project together. We would like to know what questions orchestra teachers have about teaching students with differences and disabilities. Please fill out the form. We promise it it is short. We appreciate your help as we seek to create more equitable spaces for all learners.
TV Interview with Wichita Falls news
The local CBS news affiliate in Wichita Falls reached out to interview me during this year’s Kodaly teaching program. They were interested to see how we learn how to work with students with differences and disabilities in music.
The University of Arkansas.
Spending a week with the students at the University of Arkansas is always a treat!
Workshop in Riverside, CA.
Recently returned from working with the fabulous teachers in Riverside, CA!
Elementary teachers in Rockingham County.
A lovely day spent with these dedicated teachers from Rockingham County!
In this re-release, Alan and Steve revisit their conversation with Dr. Alice Hammel about how and why students with special needs can and should be included in music classes and ensembles. This episode remains one of the most impactful in Music Ed Insights history, offering practical strategies and a shift in mindset that can help every teacher create a more inclusive and effective learning environment. Whether you’re hearing it for the first time or listening again, this discussion is full of valuable insights for all music educators.
Dr. Alice Hammel to speak at the “Teach Me Conference”
The University of Arkansas and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) have joined forces to offer a conference on teaching music. I am excited to be the headline speaker!
March is National Music in Our Schools Month, and I am proud to be a music educator! Music education plays a crucial role in shaping young minds, offering a creative outlet for self-expression, enhancing cognitive development, and fostering deeper engagement. The impact of our work is profound, and it’s essential to recognize and celebrate the value of music education in shaping a well-rounded learning experience!
View my books and published works to find out more about music education: https://alicehammel.com/books-
Dr. Alice Hammel to Instruct Music Education Teachers for Students with Disabilities in Saudi Arabia
I am excited to announce her groundbreaking partnership with the Saudi Music Commission where I will instruct teachers on music education practices and processes for students who learn differently.
Shenandoah University Residency
“Last week, I had the privilege of returning ‘home’ once again to the school that taught me how to be a teacher. I am on campus one week of each semester to work with all the music education majors. I love seeing them from beginning to graduation and was particularly impressed with the student teachers and their ability to assist their students during this transitional times in their lives. I always listen to Miranda Lambert sing The House That Built Me as I arrive and leave Winchester. Thank you, Shenandoah, for teaching me to teach.”
National Developmental Disabilities Month
March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, a time to foster awareness, understanding, and inclusion for individuals with developmental disabilities. I am deeply passionate about educating and empowering those with differences and disabilities, advocating for equal opportunities so that every student can thrive. Join me in raising awareness this month!
Find more information on developmental disabilities: march-is-developmental-
Article in Unstoppable Woman Magazine
I am honored and grateful to be recognized in the March, 2025 issue. The magazine can be found here.
Music Educator Shares Experience, Resources on Teaching Special Needs Students
I am excited to announce her groundbreaking partnership with the Saudi Music Commission where I will instruct teachers on music education practices and processes for students who learn differently.
Author Dr. Alice Hammel discusses Her Three New Books and the Best Approach to Teaching Music to Students with Differences and Disabilities
I had the great pleasure of being interviewed for a piece in CEO/CFO magazine.
University of South Carolina residency
I want to thank the music education students and faculty at the University of South Carolina for making me feel like a part of their family! They are an impressive group of current and future music educators!
University of South Carolina presentation
The Luise E. Peake Colloquium Series presents Alice Hammel from the University of Arkansas speaking on “What Is Ableism and How Can We Do Better?” on Friday, February 28 at 1:10 p.m. in the USC School of Music Recital Hall. Free and open to the public.
Northwest NAfME conference, 2025
My first trip to Washington State was amazing. The people were kind and helpful. I met so many teachers who enriched my knowledge of the area, students, and the challenges and joys of teaching in that part of the country. Every time I travel, I wonder how and why I am fortunate enough to live a life that allows me to share my life story and stories about the needs of others with differences and disabilities.
Thank you, Washington State and NW-NAfME for inviting me to be a Headline Presenter at your 2025 conference. I can’t tell you how often I thought about just the distance (in all ways) from Sebring, Florida to Spokane, Ya’ll, I was Washington State! It is indeed a wonderful life and I am beyond grateful to be able to live it and serve teachers and students.
NPR Spokane Interview
During my time in Spokane for the Northwest Division Conference of the National Association for Music Education, I had the honor of speaking with Henry McNulty on Spokane Public Radio. It was a privilege to share my educational philosophy on a national platform as I travel. Our conversation was truly inspiring, thank you for having me!
Listen to our conversation here.
Book signing at OMEA
Thank you West Music for letting me hang around and sign books for a while.
Workshop at the University of South Carolina
Come to UofSC Band Hall on March 1, 2025 for a professional workshop presented by Dr. Alice Hammel. Dr. Hammel is a leader in music education and will be presenting on Teaching Music to Students with ASD. Pre-registration cost is $30.00, and at the door is $40.00. You will not want to miss it!
Dr. Alice Hammel, widely known music educator, author, public speaker and clinician with diverse experience in music, as well as a current faculty member at The University of Arkansas, is excited to unveil her recent and upcoming winter speaking engagements, residencies and book signings following the publications release of three books this fall including, “Teaching Music to Students with Differences and Disabilities: A Label-Free Approach,” “Teaching Music to Students with Differences and Disabilities: A Practical Resource” and “Universal Design for Learning in Music Education.”
The landscape of education is undergoing a profound transformation, propelled by technological advancements, pedagogical innovations, and a deepened understanding of learning diversities. Traditional classrooms are evolving, and new modes of teaching and learning are emerging to better prepare students for the complexities of the modern world. This series will take a look at the groundbreaking work being done across the globe to redefine education. As a part of this interview series, we had the pleasure to interview Dr. Alice Hammel.
In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Alice Hammel–renowned music educator, scholar, author, and clinician–dives into the transformative power of music education and how it can be used as a tool for building inclusivity and understanding.
We hosted a panel to discuss social-emotional learning in the music room with experts including
- Dr. Scott Edgar, Associate Professor of Music at Lake Forest College
- David Zusman, Co-Founder of the We Are All Music Foundation
- Dr. Alice Hammel, Music Education Faculty at James Madison University
- Leawndra Thakur, ETM Music Teacher at P.S. 483 (Bronx)
Ohio Music Educators Association
Just returned from this wonderful conference where I presented three sessions to current and future teachers.
Orff Workshop Day!
Had a great time working with students, teachers and professors from Virginia Tech and Radford Universities.