Megan Highfill's journey into international music education began in Kansas City, before a pivotal move to Egypt sparked a global adventure. Since then, she’s taught music in Indonesia, Panama, and Nepal, and now leads the Association of Music in International Schools (AMIS) - a non-profit organisation that supports 120 member schools through student festivals and teacher professional development.
AMIS defines "international schools" as those institutions originally established to serve expatriate children of a community - predominantly those from the USA.
In her new role as Executive Director, Megan draws on her experiences as a classroom teacher, event organiser, and passionate advocate for music education that is inclusive, diverse, and community-driven.
In this episode, we explore:
- Megan’s personal journey from Kansas City to Egypt, Indonesia, Panama, Nepal and now the UK
- Her transition from classroom music teaching to a global leadership role
- What it’s like leading AMIS and supporting thousands of students and teachers worldwide
- A behind-the-scenes look at jazz festivals, honour bands, and the community they create
- How AMIS festivals differ from the competitive models in US schools
- The power of music to connect students across countries, cultures, and time zones
- AMIS’ Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice & Belonging (DEIJB) Action Plan and why it matters
- Tips for teachers interested in getting involved through volunteering or presenting
- What to expect from upcoming AMIS conferences in Kenya and Bogotá
- Why Megan believes music education should reflect and elevate the voices of all students
Please do check out the links below for everything mentioned in the show!
Get in touch with Megan:
Links and resources from this episode:
About AMIS (The Association for Music in International Schools)
Upcoming Teacher Conferences:
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice & Belonging (DEIJB):
- AMIS DEIJB Action Plan
(Includes commitments to commissioning diverse composers and platforming a broad range of cultural perspectives in programming.)
EPISODE SPONSOR:
This episode is brought to you by Trinity College, London. Trinity works worldwide to support the music education of hundreds of thousands of students with assessments across a wide spectrum of styles, including in Classical, Jazz, Rock & Pop and theory of music. If you’re looking for music exams that are super flexible, learner-centred and come with plenty of local on-the-ground support, then Trinity College London could be the perfect option for your international school setting.
To help get you started, Trinity is offering a $250 voucher for all new centres, simply register your interest here: https://tinyurl.com/Trinity-MFI-offer
