Amari Junkins is studying to become an inspirational music educator, and a tireless advocate for music in the schools.
In an environment where roughly half of all music teachers quit within their first five years, and the U.S. House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee is currently proposing a funding bill with drastic cuts to education—advocacy is a needed professional skill.
This summer, Amari and fellow Ohio Northern University music majors attended the national conference for the National Association for Music Education in Washington, D.C.
At this event, ONU’s chapter of the Ohio Collegiate Music Education Association (OCMEA) received two national awards. They were one of only three chapters nationwide to receive a Chapter Excellence Award in professional development. The honor “recognized our work to provide professional development opportunities to our members, including bringing in guest speakers to almost every single meeting we held,” said Amari.
As president of ONU’s OCMEA chapter, Amari also received a Professional Achievement Award for her exemplary commitment to the study of music. She was one of just eight music students in the country to receive this prestigious award.
While in D.C., Amari and fellow ONU music majors Elizabeth Minturn, Kyler Lampton, Aaron Thomas, and Ian Strange, went to Capitol Hill to meet with the staff of Ohio’s congressional representatives. They shared the importance of music in their own lives, and they asked for support for music education in Ohio’s schools.
Music enabled Amari to make numerous friends and grow closer to her father, John Junkins, BA ’94, whose footsteps she followed by playing trombone and participating in ONU’s Marching Band.
In the music classroom, explained Amari, your voice is important and you gain skills in teamwork and creative expression.
“That is what has drawn me to be a music educator. I want to give students the same gifts of collaboration, self-confidence, and lifelong learning that my music teachers gave to me.”
Aaron said that music transcends culture, religion, and country, making music an essential subject for a well-rounded education.
“The greatest issue facing music educators is the lack of support from people who haven’t been in or around music,” he said. “Meeting with our state representatives was an eye-opening experience. It gave us a chance to voice our wants and needs so that all children in Ohio can have a fair, quality, and equitable education that includes music.”
