Music Advocacy Links
Compiled by Mark Nelson, Vice President for Professional Development
Why Music?
http://www.menc.org/information/advocate/psa.html
A Radio Public Service Announcement Series by MENC
Music Advocacy Articles for Teachers, Parents, and Administrators
http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/
Contains many summaries of why music is important in school and society, advocacy roles needed, research on a variety of topics from pull-out periods to arguments countering reduction in a school music program. Additional information on a variety of topics like brain research, piano lesson research, reasons to teach music, and a host of related topics make this a good page to bookmark.
Support Music.Com
This site functions as the front page of the Music Education Coalition. Many links to the various coalition partners are available as well as four working links to survey grading your school music program, recent news about music and learning, how to build a case for music advocacy, and how to start from scratch.
School Music Matters
http://www.schoolmusicmatters.com/
This site has many resources including advocacy ideas, graphic downloads for newsletters, quotations, facts, links, and news. There are also procedures for contributing your successful or unsuccessful attempts to save your music program to this database, take surveys about the state of funding and support in your area, and contributing ideas to enhance music advocacy. .
VH1 Save the Music Foundation
http://www.vh1.com/partners/save_the_music/home.html
This site is part of a larger foundation site dedicated to continuing music and music education
Music Friends
This is another advocacy group through grassroots that has some helpful information on MENC advocacy ideas and grassroots movements but primarily focuses on recruiting new members to the organization.
The American Music Conference
AMC is a non-profit educational association that promotes the importance of music and music education to the general public. AMC’s web site contains links to national standards for music education, research, and other related topics. It is a well-designed site with accessible information on a wide variety of topics.
Arts Education Partnership (AEP)
AEP, (formerly the Goals 2000 Arts Education Partnership) is a national coalition of arts, education, business, philanthropic and government organizations that demonstrates and promotes the essential role of the arts in the learning and development and in the improvement of America's schools. AEP has led the national movement to establish education standards and has conducted and published groundbreaking research on the impact of arts education on student achievement. AEP publishes research and advocacy materials.
SEI Training for Teachers
http://www.ade.az.gov/certification/requirements/Endorsements/SEIEndRequirements.pdf
This .pdf file gives the exact requirements for SEI training for teachers who are certified prior to August 2006 and the new requirements to teachers certified and renewing after August 2006.
http://www.ade.az.gov/asd/lep/SEIinfo_letterfinal.doc
The above is the actual letter sent out in February 2005 outlining procedures and deadlines for SEI training.
Music Advocacy Links
http://www.imp.act.edu.au/Advocacy.htm
This is an excellent site from Australia with an international set of links to English speaking countries and advocacy sites including the US, Canada, United Kingdom, and the International Society for Music Education.