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
5, Number 1.
MENC's mission
is to advance music education by e
ncouraging
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 annen@menc.org.
Music Quote
Pay for Play
Awards for Outstanding 3-6 Graders
Music
Quote
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to
the imagination, and life to everything.”
— Plato
Quick
Fact About the Benefits of Music Education
The arts produce jobs, generating an estimate $37 billion with a return
of $3.4 billion in federal income taxes. (Source: American Arts Alliance
Fact Sheet, October 1996)
National
Anthem Project Launch
The National Anthem Project launched Thursday, March 10, 2005 in Washington,
DC from the West Front Lawn of Capitol Hill. This nationally broadcast
event featured The Oak Ridge Boys, hundreds of children from around the
country, congressional leaders, the “President’s Own”
Marine Band, and supporting organizations joining MENC and National Presenting
Organization Jeep® in officially kicking-off the most significant
music education initiative in history.
National broadcast coverage of the March 10 launch included ABC's Good Morning America, ABC World News, The View, MSNBC, CNN Headline News, FoxNews and C-SPAN. In addition, the story was included in nearly 300 local news broadcasts, radio coverage in more than 30 U.S. states and 30 countries worldwide, the four national newswires: AP, Reuters, UPI and Howard Scripps, and more than 45 print stories nationwide including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, and The Chicago Tribune.
For more information on the project or to find simple ways of supporting the project, visit www.tnap.org.
Special Section: Tips
for Parents of Music Students
Pay for Play
All across the country music programs are starting to become vulnerable
to “Pay for Play” initiatives where students must pay expensive
fees to participate in music programs. Visit John Benham’s case
study to learn more about typical proposals, what it means, and why
these proposals harm music programs.
Awards for Outstanding 3-6 graders
The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) gives a $500 U.S.
Savings Bond, funded by the Nicholas Green Foundation and NAGC, to one
student from each state, along with an NAGC Certificate of Excellence.
3rd through 6th grade students are eligible and need to have distinguished
themselves in academic achievement, leadership, or the visual or performing
arts. Some state deadlines have passed but many are in the next two months
so check out the web site to find out more information.
For
well-rounded education, music programs matter
School music funds can go sour
Arts 'Core' For Education System
Music Education is right at Vermilion
Putting Arts Education Front and Center by Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige
The article points to an increasing amount of research showing the arts help improve students' achievement in academics; teach students skills they'll need in the workforce, such as critical thinking, problem solving and a drive for excellence; and even help keep some students from dropping out of school. Huckabee and Paige also look at what the Department of Education is doing about the arts and at the two-year arts in education initiative Huckabee is leading at the Education Commission of the States.
Your
Local Music Teacher Should Know About…
Model Music Programs
Is your local school music program extraordinary? Do you have a program
that you are proud of? Did your music teacher overcome numerous obstacles
to achieve that success? We want to hear about it!
MENC: The National Association for Music Education is currently asking for submissions from music teachers to its new Model Music Education Programs. All program types are welcome, from band to choir to general music, elementary to secondary, under-funded to highly funded—we want to hear about it. No program is too large or too small. Twelve winning submissions will receive money towards their music budget; will be published along with other successful music programs; and will receive a trip to MENC’s national conference to present their winning program to other music teachers. Learn more about it by visiting our Web site and have your teacher apply! Applications must be submitted by July 31, 2005.
Just
for MusicFriends
Summer Music Drive
MusicFriends is conducting a summer music drive! If everyone signs up
just five new MusicFriends, imagine just how strong we would be! If you
are attending any spring or summer concerts, talk with the director beforehand
about including MusicFriends brochures in the program or pass them out
after the concert. To get free MusicFriends brochures, email annen@menc.org
with your name, address, and how you plan on distributing them.
Donate to MusicFriends
Thanks so much to all of you that donated to MusicFriends! Your support
means so much and will help keep music education in our schools and alive
in the hearts of children. If you would like to make a donation, please
visit our web page or
call us at 1-800-336-3768 and ask for extension 323.
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 annen@menc.org.
Read the previous MusicFriends newsletters:
- February, 2005
- November, 2004
- August, 2004
- May, 2004
- February, 2004
- November, 2003
- August, 2003
- May, 2003
- February, 2003
- November, 2002
- August, 2002
- May, 2002
- February, 2002
- November, 2001
- August, 2001
- May, 2001
