NC Music Educator Journal - Conference 2023

North Carolina and serves on the NCMEA Board. Childers also is
the arts department chair at Hunt High School and serves on the
school improvement team.
Member-at-Large #2
Demeka Kimpson
Demeka Kimpson is a music educator with over two decades
of experience. She holds a BA in music education from Claflin
University and an MA in education from Winthrop University.
Currently, she is in her 18 th year as the band director at Sedgefield
Middle School in Charlotte. She expanded band involvement from
20 students to encompass 30% annually of the school’s population.
Kimpson’s dedication to music education is evident through her
involvement as her school’s adviser for the TRI-M National Music
Honor Society and as a member of the CMS Band Professional
Development Cadre and the CMS Superintendent Teacher
Advisory Council.
In 2010, Kimpson reintroduced the elementary school band
program back to the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system
at Park Rd. Montessori Elementary School. Her efforts have
been recognized, including being named the 2021 Charlotte
Mecklenburg Schools Teacher of The Year, 2008 Sedgefield Middle
School Teacher of The Year, and earning the distinction of a 2014
GRAMMY Music Educator Quarter Finalist.
In addition to teaching middle school band, she has taught
general music in Cabarrus County Schools and was an adjunct
music instructor and choral director at Clinton College in Rock
Hill, S.C. She also maintains a small private woodwind and piano
studio.
it's time
TO START A
Tri-M MUSIC
honor
SOCIETY CHAPTER
Kimpson is a member of several professional organizations,
including Tau Beta Sigma, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the
National Association for Music Education, the North Carolina
Music Educators Association, and Women Band Directors
International.
Lemar “LJ” Martin
Lemar “LJ” Martin is a music educator and choral conductor
based in Greensboro. He is the choral director at Wheatmore High
School in Trinity, where he has been since he started teaching.
At Wheatmore, he teaches chorus, music theory, and directs the
musical theater program. Martin is also currently on staff with
Greensboro Youth Chorus, a community based choral group for
school-age children. There, he serves as co-director and conducts
the Concert Choir.
Martin is also on faculty as lead choral music instructor for the
west campus of the NC Governor’s School. There, he oversees the
choral program, supervises the rest of the choral music faculty, and
collaborates with the other performing arts instructors to produce
the performance calendar.
Outside of teaching and conducting, Martin is a regularly
performing vocalist and performs across the state with various
ensembles. He is also the director of youth ministries at First
United Methodist Church in Elon. At FUMC, he leads all youth
group activities. Martin graduated from UNC Greensboro where
he received his B.M. in music education and secondarily studied
American Sign Language.
Strengthen your school’s
Music. Honor. And Society.
Starting a Tri-M ® Music Honor
Society chapter will help show the
value of your music program to
the school. It will also benefit your
students by allowing them to:
• Build an impressive record for
college
• Grow as leaders in music
• Serve their community
Ready to start a chapter?
Visit MusicHonors.com
®
Tri-M@nafme.org | 1-800-336-3768
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