ILMEA District 8

ILMEA District 8 Illinois Music Education Association District 8

District 8 represents the Northwest corner of Illinois including the following counties: Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, JoDaviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, Winnebago

03/12/2026

For students who are looking to begin preparing for Fall 2026 auditions, the etudes commissioned by ILMEA are now posted! This includes: Junior Winds & Percussion, Senior Winds & Percussion, Junior Strings, Junior Instrumental Jazz.

01/28/2026

See you there!! 🎶

01/28/2026

It is almost here and now it is YOUR turn! What are you looking forward to at ? Is there a topic you are really interested in learning more about? A colleague presenting what will be a really exciting clinic? A conference event that is the highlight for you each year? Share it in the comments and give a shout-out where you can for our outstanding clinicians, performing ensembles, and ILMEA volunteers who are going to be part of this year's conference!

01/26/2026

We are excited to welcome Matthew Sheppard to the podium for the 2026 All-State Orchestra!

Unfortunately, our previously-planned All-State Orchestra conductor is unexpectedly not able to join us this year and we are happy that Matthew Sheppard is able to step in.

He is the Artistic Director of the award-winning Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestras and the Hyde Park Youth Symphony, Music Director of the Danville Symphony Orchestra, and Director of the University of Chicago Chamber Orchestra and the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company of Chicago.

This is sure to be an outstanding musical experience for our All-State Orchestra students!

01/26/2026

Planning to attend one of our All-State concerts at ? Attendees get complimentary admission with a conference badge; a General Admission ticket is just $5 onsite for all others concertgoers.

Pre-purchase tickets are available through http://Ticketmaster.com but tickets purchased online are subject to Ticketmaster fees. All concert tickets may be purchased onsite at the Peoria Civic Center.

01/26/2026

👋 Welcome to IMEC!
🏅 ILMEA Awards
🎙️ Keynote with John Mlynczak, President & CEO of NAMM

All of this and more at the Opening General Session, Thursday at 10:15am in the 400-level ballroom!

01/26/2026

James Sanders + Conjunto are kicking off at our Opening Night Concert on Wednesday at 8:00pm.
If you can't make that concert, then you'll definitely want to plan to get to the Composition Showcase on Thursday at 3:00pm to hear more from this group alongside some of the best student composers in Illinois.

Conjunto is James Sanders’ long running project to unite his classical training and theory with the freedom of jazz improvisation, all grounded in the lively rhythms of the Caribbean: rumba, son, danzón, bolero and more. From Afro-roots to salsa to jazz, Conjunto is equally at home at a dance party, jazz club or festival stage.

01/26/2026

Mark your IMEC calendars for the LGBTQ+ Music Educators Networking Meet-and-Greet on Friday morning of the conference! We'll provide light breakfast bites and coffee, you can come to connect with other LGBTQ+ music educators and pre-service music educators from across the state!

01/26/2026

Music educators of color - be sure to set aside time in your Thursday IMEC schedule to attend our annual networking event and reception!
We'll see you in the Lexus Club at the Peoria Civic Center on Thursday evening right before the Grand Opening Gala!

01/25/2026

The Exhibit Hall will be packed - take this chance to meet colleges and universities, music ed organizations, instrument vendors, equipment and service providers for musicians and so much more!

The Exhibit Hall will be open from 6:00pm - 7:30pm on Thursday for the Grand Opening Gala (21+), from 9:00am - 5:00pm on Friday and from 9:00am - 1:00pm on Saturday, with the hall being open to the public on Saturday from 10:00am - 1:00pm.

If you already have the conference app (https://event.confplusapp.com/imec26) you can preview the list of exhibitors who will be there!

Address

427 Spartan Trail
Sycamore, IL
61078

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