I was a member of the International Association of Jazz Educators for many years. That led me to many places and in many directions. The IAJE international conventions were wonders in the business–conferences that people love to go to. They essentially involved wall-to-wall music for those (like myself) who are rarely, if ever, overly saturated with music, along with a variety of helpful workshops for teachers at any level. Among the IAJE conventions I went to, consensus is that the New York conference of 1999 will be tough to top. One could hear any one of four or five groups every hour from 9 AM until 2 PM--on site. If that wasn't enough music for you, you could also go out into the city's clubs. There wasn't quite so much music at the 2000 meeting in New Orleans, but there was New Orleans, warm and with lots of wonderful food. In the light of recent events, who knows when we will be able to go back to New Orleans and enjoy the atmosphere as it was then. In 2005 I went to a wonderful (although very wet) conference in Long Beach. The conference in New York in January 2006, when my new book was "unveiled,"was another great time. I also had fun in the last IAJE convention (ever?) in Toronto in 2008.
In my journey through IAJE, I was tapped as president of the Wisconsin Unit of IAJE in 1997. I served a two-year term as President, served another two years on the board as past-president, and then went back to my long-term job as editor of the state newsletter. I had the great honor of receiving the Wisconsin-IAJE Distinguished Service Award in 2007.
Unfortunately, shortly after the 2008 Toronto conference the IAJE declared bankrupcy. What will take its place is still a matter of conjecture.
I discuss my reviewing for the International Trombone Association Journal on my writing page. This organization may be nuts for trombones, but it has done a tremendous amount of good for trombone players and trombone music. The quarterly journal is excellent, filled with articles about players, sections, performance practice, physical aspects of playing, reviews, etc. After not having attended one for years, in the summer of 2006 I attended an International Trombone Festival. This one was in Birmingham, England. It was great fun -- lots of music and just hanging out with some terrific folks. Check out the ITA.
If you do music education of any sort, you need to belong to the Music Educators National Conference, the parent, or at least umbrella organization for all music educators' groups.