FEMEA Rising Stars at
Regionals
Southeastern University
Lakeland 10/24/26
Gulf Coast State College
Panama City 11/14/26
FEMEA Rising Stars Nomination Process
Join/Renew FEMEA
In order for your student to be nominated your membership in the FEMEA Component as well as FMEA and NAfME must be current.
Verify that Parent/Guardian agrees to register their child if selected.
Teachers select up to 3 outstanding 3rd Graders who will thrive in multi-hour musical focus event and demonstrate potential for future All-State success. The children are more confident when a friend from their school attends so try to nominate at least 2. Nomination are due 9/24/26 and selected students are announced 10/9/26.
Check Acceptance List
Teachers will view receive and email linked to the selection list and inform parents. Parents of teachers will need to register quickly because there is only an 8 day window between posted results and the Regional Registration deadline.
Register and Attend Festival
Registration will open when Audtion Results are posted.
Registration Fee is $59
Registration Deadline is 10/17
Emily Lopez
Southern Regional Rising Stars Clinician
Emily Lopez loves teaching music to young learners! Originally from Pittsburgh, PA,Emily is the Program Specialist, K-5 Elementary Music, for Orange County PublicSchools in Florida. She graduated in 2016 from Indiana University's (IU) Jacobs Schoolof Music with a degree in Music Education focusing in Instrumental-Band andElementary General Music and is also a 2018 graduate of the University of Florida witha Graduate Certificate in Teacher Leadership. Emily is also an Orff-Schulwerk CertifiedEducator. Prior to her current position, Emily taught Kindergarten through 5th GradeGeneral Music within Orange County Public Schools and with the School Board of LevyCounty.Emily keeps a busy schedule as an educator and clinician across the state of Floridaand the US. In 2019, she was named a Florida Music Education Association EmergingLeader and now serves on the Emerging Leaders Committee. She has also presentedsessions and research in several states, in professional learning sessions across FLschool districts, and has served as a guest speaker at colleges across the US. Emilyalso holds professional memberships with Florida Music Education Association, theFlorida Elementary Music Education Association, the Florida Music SupervisorsAssociation, the American Orff Schulwerk Association, and the Central Florida OrffChapter.Outside of teaching and being involved in the performing arts, Emily loves spendingtime with her friends and family, is an extreme Pittsburgh Penguins, Pirates, andSteelers fan, a lover of all things to do with Disney, and is the proud mom to herGoldendoodle, Barney, and two year old daughter, Brooke.
Madison Kerr
Northern Regional Clinician
Madison Kerr is an elementary music teacher for Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, Florida. She currently teaches at Camelot Elementary School, where she was named 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Central Florida and is also an Orff certified teacher, having taken all 3 Orff levels with the Central Florida Orff Chapter. Madison is a huge proponent of the Orff-Schulwerk approach to music-teaching. She has presented lessons at chapter workshops for CFOC and currently serves as their President-Elect.
Along with the Central Florida Orff Chapter, Madison is also an active member of the Florida Music Education Association, the Florida Elementary Music Educators Association, and the American Orff-Schulwerk Association. She was also named an FMEA Emerging Leader in 2023. After serving the Florida Elementary Music Educators Association for 4 years as the District 4 Chair, Madison now serves the organization in the role of Southern Regional Coordinator.
Madison is also the Concert Co-Chair for the OCPS All County Elementary Music event, where she coordinates the 4-ensemble concert and works with a wide variety of students, teachers, and guest clinicians. Her music students participate annually in the All-State & Regional ensembles, and she has also served as a judge for the All-State Orff Ensemble. Madison has a heart for teaching students with exceptionalities and believes in the importance of providing an active & engaging music education to ALL students!
Regional Schedule (subject to change)
Northern Rising Stars
Registration 11:00 am
Session 1 11:30 am
Session 2 12:00 am
Session 3 12:30 am
Lunch 1:00 pm
Session 4 1:30 p.m.
Session 5 2:00 pm
Session 6 2:30 pm
Informance 3:30 pm