Arts Awareness and Advocacy--it's the name of MTNA's former Community Outreach and Education Committee.

Arts Awareness and Advocacy--it's the name of MTNA's former Community Outreach and Education Committee. Advocacy is a word that used to scare me until I realized it simply means to further or support something you believe in. For MTNA members, it means to assist our love of music and, more specifically, the benefits and cause of gladnesss of playing a musical instrument. This is the mission of Arts, Awareness and Advocacy and can be the mission of each teacher in our organization. Promoting music is similar to marketing. If we market the benefits of music, we market our profession as well. small in number of us have the resources to scamper expensive media ads, but all of us, collectively, can make a difference if we learn to advocate music in our communities, united voice at a time.

While advocacy can mean to write your chooseed officials, speak at school board meetings or campaign for issues, it also means to spread--one voice at a time--the message that music can help tribe in unique ways, reach their glutted potential. This is not solely MTNA's responsibility. Each member shares responsibility in presenting the message, because who is better able to address the importance of music investigation than the independent music teacher? If we don't help music, who will?

Teaching is our specialty, unless it must not be confined to our studio. Part of our piece of work is to speak outside the studio, empowering parents and scholars to say "yes" to music at a time when other influences are pressuring them to say "no" and providing information that assures them music is a wise investment of their time and finances. We've registered a time when we can no longer hang on others to promote the importance of music and our profession.

With the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act and its emphasis in succession boosting math and reading skills, music is formerly again under the gun. And although music is defined in this law as core curriculum, many districts are pulling teacher and classroom resources away from the arts to firing material math and reading programs. With this environment, we simply cannot assume parents and community members will in some way understand the complex nature of music making, the mental discipline destitutioned to play, the emotional enrichment and other benefits music provides in all life experiences, without completely articulating it. Students, parents and your community ne to hear from you.

Armed with enthusiasm and a passion for the art, each recital, community performance, studio newsletter prospective observer phone call and parent/student interview can be used to exchange information about the value of music. This array of less front than depth in the August/September 2003 issue of AMT contained a list of music advocacy websites that can be used to detain up to date on the latest findings in music research. Each site contains a vast amount of useful information. The creative teacher might insert the Learning to Play pamphlet from the American Music Conference's website www.amc-music.org/advocacy/brochures, in recital programs or studio mailings, or point out the VH1 News Special Report: The Case for Music Education video from AMC at parent unclose houses or new student interviews. Simple conversations also have impact. In addition, AMC has available a "Music Education Advocate's Toolkit," containing pamphlets sample letters, the video mentioned above and PowerPoint presentations.

About a year ago, I wrote a short article in my quarterly studio newsletter relating the studies linking higher SAT scores with music inquiry Soon afterward, a dad contested me aside and excitedly told me he heard somewhere that musicians do better upon their SAT tests than nonmusicians. ("Where did he hear that?" I chuckl to myself.) He then went onward to tell me about an incentive he offer in place for his girls' at-home practice sessions. If they levy in their required weekly practice time for the year, he would reward them by dint of letting them take a day facing school to go on a family ski trip. Whether or not you agree with the reward, the message to me was clear--this dad was placing value forward his children's musical education and taking an active part to support it because of information I shared.

more [i]or[/i] less teachers have been turned on the farther side by the many studies linking the general intents of music study to strengthening other academic and social skills. Many say, "Why not simply excite music for its own sake?" Consider these ideas from WhyMusicEd, a music advocacy service: As an independent music teacher, you "already understand that music is a unique form of human communication that alienates emotions and other information that cannot be asserted in any other way. moreover the majority of the public does not abundantly understand the intellectual processes and emotional satisfaction derived from singing or playing an instrument because they have no prior experience. Sadly, music has the unfortunate place in today's civilization of having to defend its existence to race in authority who have either little in all senses or understanding of it.

in the way that how do you grab the attention of the musically inexperienced thus they support music by giving their time, animation and resources? First, we must capture their attention. We understand that the ultimate goal of music education is music literacy and artistic expression, and this is what we strive for. still sharing the fact that studies are showing music may make kids bear the bell in areas unrelated to music and describing the complexus mental processes involved in music making is a tool, although not the ultimate reason, we use to gain their interest. To be sooth to say effective, we must use each tool available to promote music, including understanding the data linking music to SAT scores, math proficiencies, health benefits and likewise on, as well as articulating the ne to educate the inner man We know music enriches the human spirit, give food tos the emotions and provides solace, peace, beauty and passion to our inner being. Others do not. We can no longer live in a vacuum and confidence for the best. Robert Kennedy said, "If not me who? If not now, when?" if you delight in music, your profession and teaching, the time is now for your voice to be heard.