Music does make the difference. It affects people's lives, children's educations, and the quality of life in America's communities.
Music programs are in jeopardy nationwide due to education funding challenges that face locally communities. In many communities, saving school music programs has become a annual process occurring at the same time as school budget deliberations. In March 1991, the National Commission on Music Education released a report titled Growing Up Complete: The Imperative for Music Education (order information available at MENC.org). The report examines the serious decline of music and the other arts and makes a strong case for the value of music and music education for all young people.
Since that time, a body of research has developed that expand an understanding about music's value to children's development and learning and as a vital element in education. These facts and supporting research are available here at SupportMusic.com. And in 1994, MENC spearheaded the development of National Standards for music... useful benchmarks of progress toward a complete, balanced education for every student.
Most recently, the education federal funding re-authorization act, "No Child Left Behind" of 2001 named music education as a core academic subject reinforcing music as a vital element in a quality education for all children.
In order for children to gain the proven benefits of music education, people must be engaged in making sure it is part of education funding and implementation on the local level. In urban, rural and suburban communities across the U.S., people need to be strong advocates to assure that music is a vital element of children's education. Whether you are a parent, grandparent or citizen in your local community, spending on music education is one of the most efficient and effective use of local resources to support and sustain the succes and achievement of chldren and young people. Everyone is encouraged to join in the effort. Although the problems facing music education are national in scope, they are manifested locally. Interested persons must work together on the national, state, and local levels. Success will depend on communication, information, and determination. Tools and resources are available here at SupportMusic.com.
The Music Education Coalition has produced a variety of materials to assist local music education advocacy groups in their efforts. The Coalition also supports the formation of state coalitions.
Educational reform must grow from the roots up. Interested persons must present decision makers—school board members, administrators, legislators, and the general public—with compelling reasons for making music and the other arts an essential part of the school curriculum. Music education advocacy groups can be successfully communicate to decision makers to assure that all children have access to music as part of learning. No education is complete without music and no child must be left behind.
