©2025 Ohio Music Education Association
OCMEA UPDATE
OCMEA Chapter Spotlight - Miami University
Benjamin Low
This month, the OCMEA State Board would like to shout-out chapter that has done particularly incredible work this year. Miami University’s OCMEA chapter has grown tremendously, thanks to the work of their dedicated executive board members and faculty, and they continue to impress with their ongoing achievements. This chapter has succeeded in every level—professionaly, in service to their community, musically, and in accessibility to their members. We can’t wait to see what else they achieve!
Two years ago, the Miami University OCMEA chapter had fewer than 16 members, hosted an average of two events per semester, and did not regularly attend the OMEA Professional Development Conference. Today, through efforts centering on accessibility and involvement, the chapter has grown to 78 members and brought a group of 46 members to the 2025 OMEA Professional Development Conference! Members attend monthly professional development events, weekly Secondary Ensemble rehearsals during the spring semester, and various community networking events. We regularly host guest speakers and advocacy events, as well as an annual community picnic!
Accessibility serves as a cornerstone and guiding value of Miami University’s OCMEA chapter. Upon receiving a nearly $8000 grant from the Miami University Center for Career Exploration and Success, 25 chapter members attended the Midwest Clinic in Chicago for free in December 2024. The executive board then received $8500 of external funding to put towards OMEA Professional Development Conference attendance. This allowed for 46 members to attend the conference with only a $20 deposit put towards lodging, transportation, and a group meal. The accessibility of conference trip participation directly influenced the chapter’s recent increase in membership. Miami’s OCMEA has been recognized as a 2025 NAfME Collegiate Chapter of Excellence for Recruitment and will be honored at NAfME’s National Assembly in June.
Special thanks to Maria Hisey, President of Miami University’s OCMEA Chapter.
Benjamin Low is a junior at the College of Wooster. From Yorktown Heights, NY, he serves as the President of the OCMEA State Board and Wooster’s OCMEA chapter, on the Executive Boards for an a cappella group and a Religious and Spiritual Life organization, and works as the Recording Crew Leader, Music Department Office Assistant, and Student Accompanist. Ben currently studies piano, voice, and bagpipes, and he is a Sheri Bierman Singer Fellow with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus.