Thank you for joining the MusicFriends program and for your support of music education. MENC: The National Association for Music Education is pleased to present MusicFriends E-Newsletter Volume 4, Number 2.

MENC's mission is to advance music education by encouraging the study and making of music by all. We believe music is intrinsically valuable and should be part of the core curriculum in every school for that reason alone. That music study appears to benefit students in so many other areas of their lives is a big bonus! (See the "Quick Fact About the Benefits of Music" in each newsletter for examples.) Knowledge of these benefits can be very helpful when you are trying to convince your local school board to protect the music program...and you'll feel even more positive about supporting music education for your kids and all the kids in your community.

The MusicFriends e-newsletters will provide you with information you can use to support your local music program and, as a result, improve education by promoting the teaching and learning of music. And remember, music-making isn't limited to kids — we hope you will make music with your children and community!

Your feedback is encouraged. To ask questions of the staff at MENC, contact elizabethl@menc.org.

 
 

 

 





Wells Fargo Capitol for Knowledge®
National College Fairs
Sponsor a Local Chapter of Tri-M
Growing Your Musician
Americans for the Arts
The Musicedge.com
Educators Voice Growing Concern That Schools Leaving Arts Behind
Just Press Play and Go
Music Marches On
Calendar Exposes School Financing Problems
Music Hath Charms to Raise Kids’ IQs
Grammy Signature High Schools, SupportMusic.com, ForSociety.com, Tri-M Music Honor Society®, State Music Educators Associations, U.S. Department of Education
The National Anthem Project, Back to School PSAs, Music for Hispanic Heritage Month, Sharing “A World of Happiness” No Subject Left Behind
A Star is Born!, New Rewards Program Supports Music Education, Learn About Concert Etiquette, Send a Friend a Musical E-Card, Contact Your Members of Congress With Your Concerns About Education



Listening to music can relieve pain and stress, calm the heart rate and blood pressure, affect physical responses for healing and growth, and stimulate creative thinking. Calming music should have pleasant cadences, and the tempo should be between 62 and 72 beats per minute.

— By Helen Altonn from the Star Bulletin, Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29, 2004.



After nine months of weekly training in piano or voice, new research shows young students’ IQs rose nearly three points more than their untrained peers. The Canadian study lends support to the idea that musical training may do more for kids than simply teach them their scales—it exercises parts of the brain useful in mathematics, spatial intelligence and other intellectual pursuits. “With music lessons, because there are so many different facets involved—such as memorizing, expressing emotion, learning about musical interval and chords—the multidimensional nature of the experience may be motivating the [IQ] effect,” said study author E. Glenn Schellenberg, of the University of Toronto at Mississauga. Yahoo News HealthDay July 13, 2004.



It is estimated that there are 33,003 jazz musicians in New York, 18,733 in San Francisco, and 1,723 in New Orleans, according to the 2001 Jazz Artists Study conducted by the Research Center for Arts and Culture. The 2001 Jazz Artists Study, Research Center for Arts and Culture (RCAC) at Columbia University.

College Search Made Easy-Now all the information you need to help prepare for college is available in one convenient location. The Wells Fargo Capital for Knowledge® program offers a variety of FREE online resources, including: The College Search: A great way to find the college or university that best meets your needs and preferences; The Scholarship Search: Gives you access to over 1.6 million scholarship, grant and prize opportunities worth approximately $4 billion; Banking on Our FutureSM: An award-winning interactive site with information for all ages on the basics of banking (in English and Spanish) To take advantage of these valuable resources, visit http://www.capital4u.net.

As More Students Head to College, Free Performing and Visual Arts College Fairs Fill Vital Need
For the growing number of students pursuing a college degree in music, theater, art, and dance, the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s (NACAC) free Performing and Visual College Fairs offer a unique opportunity to get a head start on planning for college. For more information about any of the Performing and Visual Arts National College Fair programs, including directions and lists of exhibitors, visit the NACAC Web site at www.nacac.com/fairs.html or call the National College Fairs Dept. At 800/822-6285.

Sponsor a Local Chapter of Tri-M, the International Honor Society Recognizing Secondary Music Students
The Tri-M Music Honor Society is the international music honor society for middle/junior high and high school students that motivates and recognizes musical achievement. Tri-M has helped young people provide years of service through music in thousands of schools throughout the world. Through more than 4,100 chartered chapters, thousands of students have received recognition for their efforts and honor for their musical accomplishments. You can sponsor a chapter for one year for just $100.00. Visit http://www.menc.org/tri-m for more information.

Growing Your Musician: A Practical Guide for Band and Orchestra Parents
The guide aims to help parents work with band and orchestra teachers to encourage musical development in young musicians, discusses how to effectively use private lessons to supplement school instruction, and offers strategies for getting young music students to practice. The price for MusicFriends is $21.75. To order, call (800) 828-0229 or visit www.menc.org.

Americans for the Arts
Does your state have an arts education standard for your school? You can learn where your school district is in terms of arts education by checking on the Americans for the Arts Web site at http://www.artsusa.org/public_awareness/pac_article.asp?id=585

The musicedge.com
Here’s a great site to explore today’s newest music trends and introduce your child to the world of music and the making of it. There is a time in every person’s life where they hear that first riff, or see their first band and say, “I want to do that.” This site is geared as a launching pad for the ambitions of tomorrow’s musicians – a place where they can go for information on up and coming bands, current stars and a comprehensive guide to finding the right instrument for your child to express themselves. http://www.themusicedge.com/



Educators Voice Growing Concern That Schools Leaving Arts Behind
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04194/345166.stm


Just Press Play and Go
Click here.


Music Marches On
http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/07/04/tem_sunlede04.html


Calendar Exposes School Financing Problems
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/issues/issues401.shtml


Music Hath Charms to Raise Kids’ IQs
Click here.


GRAMMY Signature High Schools
In cooperation with MENC, the GRAMMY Foundation Signature High Schools program honors public high school music programs that promote and preserve music education as a key part of their curriculum. All public high schools nationwide have the opportunity to apply for consideration as a GRAMMY Signature School. Top schools are selected to receive the honor of being designated as GRAMMY Signature High Schools. http://www.grammy.com/foundation/signature_schools.aspx

SupportMusic.com
Music and the arts… vital to every child’s education…SupportMusic can help you revive your community’s commitment! Make music a key part of your school and community. Build a case for music in school. Face the challenges with the resources offered here.
http://www.supportmusic.com/

Tri-M Music Honor Society®
Tri-M is the International Honor Society recognizing secondary music students for their musical ability, academic excellence, school involvement, and community service. Take a moment to investigate all the Tri-M Web site has to offer! http://www.menc.org/tri-m

State Music Educators Associations
Check out the Web site of your state music educators association (the MENC affiliate in your state). You might contact the leaders of the organization to offer your assistance as a volunteer.
http://www.menc.org/connect/stateinf.html

U.S. Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov




The National Anthem Project
Join The National Anthem Project and help us celebrate America’s heritage and support music education in our nation's schools! Visit http://www.thenationalanthemproject.org/ for more information.

Back to School PSAs
Why Music? “Back to School” radio public service announcement series will be on the airwaves as kids are heading back to school this fall! The series features top country and pop musicians like Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby, Gloria Estefan, and The Oak Ridge Boys talking about the value of music education. For more information on how to help get the PSAs played on your favorite radio station, visit http://www.menc.org/information/advocate/psa.html

Music for Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 - October 15. Despite the fact that the United States’ Hispanic heritage reaches five centuries into the past, it was not until 30 years ago that the nation officially honored that heritage, and it wasn't until 1989 that the recognition evolved into a month-long celebration. Find out more, and explore musical resources, at http://www.menc.org/guides/hhmonth/hhmain.html.

Sharing “A World of Happiness” With Children
MENC presents a free guide for parents, teachers, and caregivers to leading music activities for children using the songs of “A World of Happiness,” a Disney/Buena Vista Recordings/Borders Books and Records CD for the preK- 4 audience. The CD includes a variety of “feel good” songs delivered by celebrities from music, television, stage, and sports. Visit http://www.menc.org/networks/earlyc/happiness/woh_START.html for the lessons, information about the CD, and other online resources.

No Subject Left Behind
As budgets continue to shrink and testing continues to grow, don’t allow No Child Left Behind to be an excuse for the marginalization of the arts in your school! “No Subject Left Behind” is an excellent advocacy tool for communicating the place of the arts in the 2001 NCLB Act. You can view the PDF document here http://aep-arts.org/PDF%20Files/NoSubjectLeftBehind.pdf.
Contact Paul Kerlin at paulk@menc.org for more information.

A Star is Born!
Ever wondered what famous musician was born on this date? Take a look and see!
http://www.musicfriends.org/fun/star/star.cgi .

New Rewards Program Supports Music Education
The Music for All Foundation (http://www.music-for-all.org/ ) a national non-profit organization committed to expanding the role of music and the arts in education, has launched the Musicard, the first-ever membership rewards card created specifically to help raise funds to improve access to music and arts education. For more information, visit http://www.menc.org/connect/musicard/musicard.html.

Learn about Concert Etiquette!
Share your knowledge with fellow concert goers and make everyone’s experience more enjoyable. Visit http://www.menc.org/guides/etiquette/etiquette_home.html.

Send a Friend a Musical E-Card-Special Back to School E-Card will be available September 1! Take the Musical Quizzes! Read the “Jammin’ With...” Interviews!
http://www.musicfriends.org/fun.html

Contact Your Members of Congress With Your Concerns About Education!
This site makes getting in touch with your Senator or Representative easy.
http://Congress.org

You can help promote MusicFriends by displaying your membership decal on your vehicle, by telling others about the Web site, and by distributing brochures when possible at community and school events. To receive a supply of brochures, please contact angig@menc.org.

Read the previous MusicFriends newsletters: