What is the Biennial FAME Conference?
Every two years, the FAME Community gathers for a weekend of tuneful, beatful, and artful celebration with teachers and clinicians from around the world.
Attendees will enjoy essential professional development opportunities in First Steps in Music and Conversational Solfege and related topics. Learn from successful FAME teachers, share ideas, network with like-minded professionals, and reinforce why the Feierabend Approach is so important to the world of music education.
Connect with colleagues and make new friends as we build community together through making music, learning, and sharing.
Make Your Plans
Make plans NOW for July 17-19, 2026, and stay tuned to this page for updates and registration information.
Conference Registration and Fees
FAME Member, Early Registration $275
FAME Member, Late Registration, $345
FAME Non-Member, Early Registration, $345
FAME Non-Member, Late Registration $400
Spouse Registration, Non-Educator $100
Student (Undergraduate), Early Full-Time $100
Student (Undergraduate), Late Full-Time $120
Presenter Registration $100
Registration includes the Friday night Strawberry Social, a Saturday boxed lunch, and a Saturday night dinner banquet.
Scholarships
FAME invites music educators to apply for a scholarship to attend the 6th Biennial Conference. Scholarship is good for one conference registration. A total of four scholarships are available.
Application Deadline: March 1, 2026. Recipients will be notified on or before April 15.
Recipients are responsible for their own travel and lodging expenses. Scholarships do not include pre-conference offerings.
Schedule
A typical FAME Conference begins at 6:30 with the traditional Friday evening Strawberry Social and Folk Dance. Saturday sessions begin in the morning through lunch, which is provided to all attendees. Sessions continue through the afternoon until the meet-and-greet cocktail hour and evening dinner banquet. Cap off the night with a Community Sing. Sunday sessions continue through noon and end with the annual FAME Membership Meeting. Optional preconference sessions will be available for an extra fee and take place Thursday and Friday July 16 and 17.
Thursday and Friday: Pre-conference session (optional, additional fee)
Friday: Registration opens at 5:30 PM
Friday: 6:30 PM with the Strawberry Social & Folk Dance
Saturday: Morning and afternoon sessions, lunch, cocktail hour, dinner banquet, and Community Sing
Sunday: Morning sessions ending with FAME Membership Meeting
Sample Conference Agenda
Pre-Conference
July 15 and 16 Pre-conference workshops
Friday, July 17
5:30 pm Registration opens
6:30 pm Strawberry Social and Folk Dance
Saturday, July 18
7:30 am – 12:15 pm General and Breakout Sessions
12:15 pm – 1:30 pm Lunch Provided
1:30 pm – 4:15 pm Breakout Sessions
4:30 pm Community Meet-Ups
5:30 pm Reception
6:00 pm Dinner Banquet and Community Sing
Sunday, July 19
7:30 am General and Breakout Sessions
11:00 am – 12:30 pm Closing Session and FAME Membership Meeting
Location
The 2026 Conference will take place at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Lawn
9333 South Cicero Avenue, Oak Lawn, IL 60453-2517 Conveniently located in Oak Lawn, this full-service hotel is a half mile from the Oak Lawn Metro Station. Chicago Midway Airport is 15 minutes away and offers a complimentary Midway Airport shuttle from 6 am to 9 pm by appointment. Chicago O’Hare is 18 miles away. The hotel restaurant, South Side Social, serves a twist on South Side staples and classic drinks. Enjoy modern guest rooms, an indoor pool, and versatile meeting space. The hotel also offers an on-site coffee bar serving hot and cold coffee and tea, smoothies, pastries, and breakfast sandwiches. Additional amenities are within walking distance, including several restaurants, fast food, and some retail options.
FAME Conference Rates:
King Rooms $159/night (before taxes)
Double Queen Rooms $169/night (before taxes)
This hotel offers Confirmed Connecting Rooms, subject to availability.
Advocating for School District Support
Use our downloadable template to help secure professional development support from your school administrators.
Proof of Attendance and Illinois CPDU Credit
ILMEA provides Certified Professional Development hours for Illinois educators. Educators wishing to get PD credit will need to sign in at a provided link at the beginning of the day and then sign out at the end of the day’s final session. Please note: Illinois educators must be in attendance for all of the PD sessions for that day–partial credit hours are not available. The sign-out form includes a brief evaluation where you must enter your IEIN (Illinois Educator Identification Number) to download your ISBE professional development certificate. Forms are available at the registration desk daily.
Graduate Credit
Opportunities for graduate credit will be announced.
Register for the FAME Biennial Conference
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