Music allows us to celebrate and preserve our cultural heritages, and also to explore the realms of self expression, imagination, and creativity, resulting in a better understanding of who we are and where we come from.  As such, every individual should be guaranteed the opportunity to benefit from the teachings of music and to share in musical experiences.  Sometimes, music programs are threatened for a variety of reasons ranging from budget cuts to classroom time availability to curricular mandates.  When times get tough, parents can really make a difference.  Below, a collection of resources designed to help you advocate for school music have been provided.  You can make a far greater impact by advocating in your own backyard, as key curricular and budget decisions are often made at the state and local levels and administrators have a vested interest in listening to their constituents…  meaning you!  Make yourself heard—support a music education program today!

♪ NAfME Advocacy Groundswell

NAfME Advocacy Groundswell is a social media-based advocacy hub designed to cultivate an online community of members from across the country interested in participating in advocacy initiatives, engaging in discussions about advocacy and regularly digesting  advocacy news.

♪ Letter to your local representative

An easy form word document that can be sent directly to your representatives asking them to save funding for art classes in your local public schools.

♪ NAfME AdvocaSEE Mapper

An interactive information hub for state advocacy data and state information (news articles, hot topics, political representatives, etc). This new NAfME resource lets the user view an interactive map of the U.S.

♪ Benefits of Music Brochure

This document breaks down the benefits of music into 4 categories:

• Success in Society
• Success in School and Learning
• Success in Developing Intelligence
• Success in Life

♪ Why Music?

Facts and insights on the benefits of music study. More in-depth on-line version of the “Benefits of Music” brochure.

 ♪ Letter To Your Principal

Form letter to send to your school principal explaining how the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA) Title I funds can be used to fund school music programs. Contains a quote from Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan’s August 2009 letter to education community leaders.

♪ SupportMusic “Make Your Case” Database

A searchable database containing facts, statistics, research, and anecdotes to help you “build a case” for your music program. Useful for presentations, speeches, and other communications with school board members, administrators, and legislators

♪ Get the Message! Flyers

A series of flyers aimed at guiding advocacy work with parents, principals (secondary and elementary) and school boards. Available for printing off the web.

• Parents
• Elementary Principals
• Secondary Principals
• School Boards

 ♪ Music for All Students

A planning guide for state-level music education advocacy. Contains sample advocacy and thank-you letters to state legislators.

 ♪ Why Music PSAs

Encourage your local radio stations to download and play on the air these 60-second celebrity messages about the importance of music education. Encourage teachers to play these at a concert!

 ♪ 21st Century Skills Map

A Partnership for 21st Century Skills collaboration with leading art, dance, music, theatre and visual arts associations. For more information, view the press release.