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 taking place 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!

Get Your MENC Advocacy Brochures!
MENC announces “The Power of Music ... Changing Lives,” our new music education advocacy brochure series! This series of four advocacy brochures is designed for distribution to parents, school board members, elementary school principals and secondary school principals, to give those audiences “the why and the how” of supporting school music education. The entire brochure series is available for download in PDF form at MENC's Music Education Advocacy Central. Additional print copies are available for purchase now at the web site or call 800-828-0229.

For Music Teachers
Exciting Grant Opportunity!
The NAMM Foundation and Disney Channel launched “Disney’s High School Musical: The Music in You Grant Program” that will allow for middle and high schools across the U.S. to apply for a grant to put on their own school stage production of Disney’s “High School Musical.” This public affairs initiative utilizes the popularity of the “High School Musical” movies and the licensed amateur theater adaptation of it to encourage kids to get involved in music and the arts. The grant program will award ten worthy schools a $5,000 monetary grant and license for High School Musical. The funds are to support music and arts-related educational costs of the production such as hiring music and dance coaches, and to help schools that do not have sufficient lighting and sound equipment for the production. Schools interested in applying for a grant should visit www.nammfoundation.org to view grant guidelines and apply online. Deadline: November 30, 2007

The World’s Largest Concert Returns!
The WLC is back in 2008! MENC encourages you to participate now by submitting a proposal video of your students performing one of the WLC selections to be considered for inclusion in the WLC! Visit the web site for the list of songs, downloadable sheet music, and the online video submission proposal form and guidelines. The deadline to submit video proposals is October 29, 2007. (Final videos are due January 11, 2008.). If you are interested in writing lesson plans for the WLC Teacher's Guide, please e-mail Nicole Springer.

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
2008 VSA Arts International Young Soloists Award Entries Being Accepted Now!
Calling all rock stars & hipsters…virtuosos & divas…jazz bands and blues brothers…musicians of all styles! If you are 25 years old and under and have a disability, you are eligible to apply for this annual music award. Two recipients will each receive $5,000 and will perform in Washington, D.C. For guidelines and application, click here. Deadline: November 15, 2007

Interesting and Unique Scholarship Opportunities Now Available
Can you sing the national anthem with sincerity? Are you interested in space music? If you are interested in these or any other kind of scholarship based on your hobby or family history, visit this web site to see if you are eligible for any of these unusual scholarships!  

This Month In Music History …

• October 1, 1880 - John Philip Sousa was named the director of the United States Marine Corps Band. He composed the hymn "Semper Fidelis."
• October 11, 1727 - Coronation Anthem No. 4, by Handel, was first performed in Westminster Abbey.
• October 17, 1953 - Conductor Leopold Stokowski performed the first concert of contemporary Canadian music to be presented in the U.S.
• October 27, 1886 - The musical fantasy "A Night on Bald Mountain" was performed in St. Petersburg, Russia.