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A Tale of Two Conventions: Making Music and Arts Education Politically Correct
Democratic National Convention August 25–29, 2008, Denver, Colorado
Imagine a big show, somewhat like a NAMM Show, with thousands of people wearing badges, press, VIPs and celebrities invading a city and infusing it with pure energy. Now imagine that this gathering wasn’t about music, but national politics, and you have the look and feel of the Democratic National Convention (DNC). Some Democrats came to Denver to witness history in the making as the Party nominated the nation’s first African-American candidate for the presidency. Some wanted to revel in the message of change that resonated from every street corner of the downtown area. But NAMM recently invaded the Mile High City to make sure the music products industry’s key message about the importance of music and arts in education in American schools got sufficient attention as well.
On August 26, NAMM and Americans for the Arts, a leading national arts advocacy group, hosted a panel discussion on the arts and the presidential race at the Museo de las Americas in downtown Denver. Panelists included GRAMMY Award-winning musician John Legend, Miami Mayor Manuel Diaz, President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and philanthropist Sheila C. Johnson and U.S. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY). Former U.S. Secretary of Education and former Governor of South Carolina Richard Riley moderated the lively panel.
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper began the event with strong, passionate statements about the arts and city development. “A strong cultural scene equals a strong economy,” he said. A former pub owner, Hicklenlooper added, “Those cities with lots of live music, simply do better.”
Manuel Diaz concurred, adding “A city that does not promote art, lacks identity.” Diaz described the impact of the arts in Miami’s development as “substantial.”
Sheila Johnson told her own personal story about how music shaped her life. “When I came out of the womb, I heard music in our house,” she said. “Music taught me how to focus, how to be organized.” She warned attendees not to make the mistake of separating the arts from everyday life. “Art is a vital part of your life,” she said.
No one on the panel created more buzz at the event than GRAMMY winner John Legend who performed his new song, “Are You Out There,” to rave reviews during prime time the night before at the DNC. “I’m here today out of passion," Legend told those attending the panel discussion. "I have a very personal understanding of what music and the arts can do. As a nation, we need to keep investing in the future and give our children more of the arts.”
The final panelist, Louise Slaughter added her valuable perspective as well. “The economic benefits of the arts in communities are wonderful, but they don’t compare to the human benefits,” she said. “Nothing helps kids be more creative and come up with new ideas like music and the arts.” When asked why she was so passionate about music and the arts, she said “I, like many of us, believe in the arts because we feel that a child that creates…will not destroy.”
NAMM Members Liane and Tobin Rockley of Rockley Music in Denver also attended the event and said, “We’re taking all of this great information and inspiration back to our business so that we, as business leaders, can be better advocates for music and the arts in our community. It’s only when you give to your local community that you really get something back."
Republican National Convention (RNC) September 1–5, 2008, St. Paul, Minnesota
The opening of the Republican National Convention (RNC) was hindered by the appearance of Hurricane Gustav, which thankfully turned out to be bad, but much less so than originally anticipated. Many anti-war protests and an already-somber mood made the event less festive and more focused on the business of selecting a presidential nominee. NAMM and Americans for the Arts again hosted an event, this time at the Minnesota Children’s Museum, to discuss the importance of music and the arts in education.
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee moderated the discussion on the future of the arts and arts education in America with several featured speakers: GRAMMY Award-winning artist John Rich of the country group Big and Rich; Emmy Award-winning actor, dancer, choreographer and director Debbie Allen; Missouri Governor Matt Blunt; Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Tom Cochrane; U.S. Representative Todd Tiahrt (R-Kansas) and Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne.
Gov. Huckabee (a musician himself) described how he dealt with opponents of music education, saying, “When people told me in Arkansas that we couldn’t afford music and arts programs in schools, I told them that if we are really trying to educate students instead of merely doing a data dump into their brains, we couldn’t afford NOT to have them.”
Huckabee urged everyone in attendance to become more politically active in influencing local legislation and education policy. He also humorously reminded the group that “Republicans do like art too!”
Matt Blunt, who has demonstrated a 700 percent increase in arts funding in Missouri during his administration, shared his secrets of success with the crowd, saying that he communicates the strong economic impact of the arts around the state to garner wide support from all concerned.
When asked about how greater focus on the arts would benefit America, Rep. Tiahrt said, “The next economy will incorporate more creativity and that only comes from exposure to the arts.”
Debbie Allen won over the audience with her heartfelt, personal testimonial about the value of the arts in her life. “Somehow, we in this country don’t understand the true value of the arts,” she said. “We don’t encourage our kids to look up into the sky and imagine what is possible. The arts do that. They take kids as far as they can see.”
Another artist, country singer John Rich, explained why he gave his time to be on the panel during the RNC. “Music and the arts breaks down barriers—race, financial status and cliques and really levels the playing field with kids,” he said.
Rich said that for ages 5 – 12, making music available to kids is “mandatory,” not optional. Finally, when asked by Huckabee to provide his 30-second “Why the Arts Matter” message to parents and kids, he said, “The future begins with eight things: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do.”
Several NAMM Members were on hand at the RNC panel, including Fred Bramante of Daddy’s Junky Music; Don Griffin of West LA Music; Tim Kletti of Music Go Round and NAMM Vice Chairman Tom Schmitt of Schmitt Music.
“While everyone in the room shared the same passion for music and the arts, and feels the need to create additional funding for the continuation of the education in the arts, what is most important is that we actually do something about it,” said Tim Kletti, director of Music Go Round.
The two conventions again showed the world what democracy looks and feels like with all of the hype and spectacle we’ve come to expect from national politics. But if you looked closely enough, you could see the glimmering of what in the coming years could become a nationwide movement to fuel the United States’ creative workforce of tomorrow by investing in stronger music and arts education for its students today.