Q: What does the FMA do?

A: Below are some of our major activities. We…

• Promote and support the musical arts at Fremd
• Help organize musical events for the benefit of Fremd students and families
• Provide hospitality at Music Department concerts
• Coordinate volunteers for FMA and Music Department activities
• Sponsor fundraisers to assist students in paying for their Music Department trips
• Manage the finances for fundraisers, music department trips, and individual student fundraising accounts
• Meet monthly with Music Department staff (all FMA contributors are invited to attend)
• Publish a newsletter to communicate FMA and Music Department activities and events
• Award scholarships to music students for summer camps and private lessons to further their music education
• Provide funds for selected music, instruments and equipment as requested by the Music Department
• Make great friends with parents of the music students!

Q: I’m new to Fremd and/or the music program. How do I get involved?

A: The best way to get involved is to sign up for FMA membership and attend one or more of our meetings. Once you see all the FMA has to offer, we encourage you to volunteer. Volunteering your time can be as little as an hour a month, or much more depending on your interests and skills. Below is a list of some of the committees and groups within the FMA that regularly need volunteers:

• Band, orchestra and choir post-concert hospitality
• Viking Marching Band – various activities including props building, uniform organization and providing snacks at competitions
• FMA membership signup and recruitment
• Fundraising – see the tab on our webpage for more details of the fundraisers conducted by the FMA
• Treasurer – managing the FMA’s financial records and tax filings
• Student Accounts – coordinating the funds raised by the students set aside for future music trips
• Scholarships – evaluating student applications for the annual FMA scholarship
• Publicity – getting the word out to the community, schools, social media and other audiences about the FMA and our activities, including through this website and our Facebook page
• Technology – video and audio recordings of concerts and competitions, and photography for our publicity team
• If you have a skill or interest not listed above, we’ll find a place for you!

Q: Where do the FMA funds go?

A: The donations received by the FMA provide for the following:

• Bringing in guest musicians & clinicians to work with the students
• Music scholarships for in-need students to help with music lessons
• Updating/buying musical instruments not covered by the District 211 budget
• Paying copyright fees for music performed at competitions
• Inviting musicians to perform for educational/cultural benefit (e.g., the Ernestinum Big Band from Schaumburg, Germany hosted in autumn 2018)
• Providing post-concert hospitality
• Hosting the end-of-year reception for graduating seniors
• Coordinating student fundraising accounts

Q: When are the FMA Board Meetings?

A: All FMA Members are welcome to attend the FMA Board Meetings. These are a great way to stay in tune with what is happening across the music department with firsthand updates from the Music Directors, as well as to hear about the exciting upcoming FMA events.

2022/23 –  FMA Board Meeting dates

All board meetings will begin at 7:30 pm and will be held in the Faculty Cafeteria at Fremd.