Advocacy News, Action, and Alerts
October is National Arts and Humanities Month!
Americans for the Arts has coordinated National Arts and Humanities Month this October. For tips and ideas to help you take action, be inspired, and participate in the arts during NAHM, click here. The NAHM Events Map allows you to upload information about your own event or find other events in your area. You can also share photos and videos through the NAHM groups on Flickr and YouTube. Check out the resources page for advocacy ideas in your own home town!

PTA Start the Arts Advocacy Week is Coming!
Join the PTA October 8-12, 2007, to celebrate, embrace and advocate for the arts! "Start the Art" at your school by gaining support for arts in education from parents, teachers, administrators, students, community members, and leaders. Show that your school cares: take part in a weeklong celebration of the arts! More information and ideas for each day of the week can be found on the PTA Web site.

New "Why Music" Radio Public Service Announcements Released
Our “WHY MUSIC?” back to school radio public service announcements have just been released. New musicians, Trisha Yearwood and Al Jarreau join a family of many others previously featured in MENC’s award-winning PSA series, airing now on radio stations around the country. For more information and to find out how to help get PSAs played on your favorite radio station, visit PSA’s.

For Music Teachers
Send us Photos of your National Anthem Day Event!
Add yourself to the 2007 National Anthem Day Scrapbook! September 14 saw music teachers from all across the country hosting events in celebration of the anniversary of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and to promote the importance of music education. If you have not yet signed up for an “All Star School” certificate, please fill out this form and submit pictures to Stephanie Jones for posting on our September 14, 2007 Scrapbook. Certificates will be mailed when all schools have been processed.

For Music Students
Performing and Visual Arts College Fairs
Brought to you by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the fairs are free events for college and high school students interested in pursuing undergraduate and graduate programs in music, visual arts, theater, dance, graphic design, and other related disciplines. To locate a fair near you, click here.

Honor a Music Educator with a Lowell Mason Fellowship!
Designating a Lowell Mason Fellow is an ideal way to recognize an outstanding teacher for his or her impact on a child or community. This high honor is achieved through the $1,000 donation made in the name of each prospective Fellow. These charitable donations support future generations of music educators and may be made by individuals or groups – booster clubs, supportive parents, corporations, universities, foundations, student organizations, etc. – who feel that a candidate has made important contributions to music education. For more information, or to view the list of Fellows, visit the web site.

This Month In Music History …

• September 1, 1995 - Louis Armstrong was honored on a U.S. postage stamp.
• September 14, 1814 - Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics to the "Star Spangled Banner." The song became the official U.S. national anthem on March 3, 1931.
• September 16, 1966 - The Metropolitan Opera opened its new opera house at New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
• September 25, 1906 - Russian Composer Dimitri Shostakovich was born.
• September 30, 1791 - The Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart opera The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflote) premiered in Vienna, Austria.