Music education is what brought Amelia Fulmer to Palm Coast in 1988 to teach at the elementary level. It is the commitment to music education by Flagler County from government to the private sector and the public education system that has kept her here since.
There aren’t too many parents and grandparents in the local area that don’t at least know of Fulmer. That’s what happens when one teaches music to kids and heads up numerous school concerts.
As of recent, she is well known locally as the director of the Flagler Auditorium Dennis Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Flagler Palm Coast High School. She’s the mover and shaker behind bringing national level performers to the stage locally. But beyond securing entertainment, Fulmer’s role at the Auditorium also facilitates a shepherding of sorts for the area’s youth.
When acts perform at the Auditorium, part of the gig is working with local students. From interacting with professional musicians and singers to getting to help roadies set up or assisting with backstage support, Flagler County students interested in the performing arts are on the receiving end thanks to Fulmer’s advocacy.
“Our students get to meet the stars of these shows and they work with the lighting and the sound at the auditorium,” Fulmer told Palm Coast Magazine. “Part of our purpose is to keep the arts going — not only on our stage, but in the community and in our schools.”
A vocalist herself, Fulmer said she does sing any chance she gets and she does enjoy performing a solo now and then and hearing the applause. But the joy she gets from that experience is fleeting in comparison to the satisfaction she said she receives from teaching others to sing and express themselves through music.
“Teaching others to sing, well, that lasts a lifetime because they will be singing long after I am gone,” Fulmer notes.
In a time when school districts struggle to keep electives such as music education in a vibrant status, Fulmer said she appreciates the emphasis Flagler County places on such.
She hopes that emphasis remains, but she is also taking proactive steps to ensure it does.
The governing board of the Flagler Auditorium recently secured the assistance of an arts advocacy consultant to review K-12 arts programs to further identify arts and music advocates in Flagler County. Locals can participate in the survey by contacting Fulmer via email at fulmera@flaglerschools.com.
“Music can change the outcome of any day,” she said. “It builds connections and strengthens relationships with students, teachers and parents. Music can create a foundation for children that need positivity and encouragement in their life.”
If you ever do find yourself riding around in her vehicle with Fulmer, the experience might not be as musical as you would expect. But it will be thoroughly educational.
“I confess I listen to a lot of audiobooks in my car, most non-profit leadership and marketing books,” she said. “But … sometimes I break out divas like Pat Benatar, Barbara Streisand and Donna Summer from the 80s. But you don’t want to ride with me when I do that because I can sing pretty loud.”
