ILMEA is excited for the inaugural Junior High All-State Band and Orchestra in January 2026 and the return of the Junior High All-State Chorus! As with any new program, we know that educators, administrators and parents will have many questions. This FAQ will help to address these questions so that everyone is as prepared as possible for this outstanding experience.
The exciting addition of Junior High All-State in Peoria this January brings about some schedule changes for our All-State student programs at all levels.
Please take some time to review the ensemble schedules - we know that until All-State results are released in early December, you won’t be able to make concrete plans for your time in Peoria, but we need to bring your attention to these changes sooner rather than later!
ILMEA has leadership and service opportunities for junior high, high school music students, and collegiate pre-service music educators - learn more about the ILMHS and ILCMEA!
The ILMEA Board of Directors, at their Summer 2020 Business Meeting, recommitted to the ongoing work of creating learning environments and opportunities for their members, and the students they serve, that celebrates inclusion and diversity. Click through to read more!
Information for those interested in purchasing commemorative merchandise (including plaques and apparel) or physical audio or video recordings of the concerts!
Please note: Students in the All-State performing ensembles will receive a complimentary digital recording of their concert in the coming weeks.
If you want to see where some of the biggest and most varied growth has been happening within ILMEA over the past few years, you’d need to take a look at the Junior/Senior General Music (JSGM) division! With new festivals, album streaming releases and an expanded Composition Contest there’s lots to catch up on to see how you and your students can get involved!
Join us for the 2025 ILMEA Large Ensemble Festival series! We invite all middle and high school band, orchestra, and chorus programs to participate in this event, designed to deliver outstanding educational experiences in high-quality performance venues with valuable feedback and clinics from renowned adjudicators. And new for 2025 - a Large Group Festival site for Instrumental Jazz!
If your junior high or high school is home to an Illinois Music Honors Society chapter, you’ll want to check out the resources at www.ilmea.org/chapters! You’ll find graduation cords, pins, and certificates along with a sample script that can be used for induction and recognition ceremonies. These are great ways to recognize and celebrate your student musicians!
IMEC 2023 Revisited! If you were unable to attend IMEC, or if you attended but could not make it to all the sessions you wanted this is your chance to gain some of that valuable information that you may have missed! These are LIVE webinars, so you will be able to interact directly with the presenters and some of the content as presented at IMEC may be new and updated. Webinars are free for current ILMEA members ($30 each for nonmembers).
Congratulations to this year’s honorees in the ILMEA Student Composition Contest! This was a record-setting year for entries across the various categories - thank you to all students who submitted their work! Each piece entered will receive written feedback from our panel of professional composers, producers, songwriters and artists who adjudicate this contest.
ILMEA is thrilled to announce the launch of the Large Ensemble Adjudication Festival taking place in 2023! We invite all participating middle and high school band, orchestra, and chorus programs to join us in this unique event designed to bring our musical community together for world-class performance venues, invaluable feedback from renowned adjudicators, inspiring performances, and the opportunity to support fellow educators and students from around the state!
“I loved enjoying all the music. The Jazz and Student Composition Concerts were incredible. It was so fun to watch people just as passionate for music as I am.”
I was so thrilled to read this quote from one of our participating All State Students, upon reviewing our 2022 Student Surveys. It evokes exactly the type of experience we are intending to bring to all our state’s most dedicated music students: collaboration, community and a shared love for music performance.
ILMEA seeks to promote and celebrate research through the inclusion of a regularly-occurring research feature in the journal as well as the poster and paper presentations as part of the Illinois Music Education Conference.
