Creating and Moving the Needle for the Industry’s Music Education Cause on Capitol Hill

You may have seen a car or truck go through a complex range of maneuvers to change into a futuristic robot, but have you ever seen it done with 25 NAMM Members, a former Partridge and a very cool bus?

During the second week of May, invited delegates from the music products industry converged on Washington, D.C., for NAMM’s annual “Advocacy Fly-In” event to learn more about the association’s public affairs and government relations activities and then take the industry’s pro-music-education message to their respective elected federal lawmakers in Congress.

The week started off with a heavy dose of inspiration as the group met at Howard University for a reception and dinner with the theme of “Celebrating Music Education in Historically Black Colleges and Universities.” Dr. Willie Hill, former MENC (the National Association for Music Education) president, gave the keynote address. He spoke about the importance of collaboration between music educators and the music products industry, saying, “We must all work together to ensure that music remains a core subject and available to all children, regardless of location, race or income level.” Dr. Hill discussed the current music teacher shortage, stating that 30,000 new teachers were needed each year to replace those retiring from or leaving the profession. He also urged that more mentoring programs be implemented to keep good teachers engaged and excited about teaching music.

The next day was spent learning about all of NAMM’s public affairs and government relations activities, and preparing the delegates for the upcoming Congressional meetings. NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond said, “Music education is one of the most important issues in our industry.” Mary Luehrsen, NAMM’s director of public affairs and government relations, added, “This process can really transform people. You are doing the work of real democracy.”

She went on to describe many instances in American history where meaningful social and policy change took place through the efforts of a small group of dedicated people over time. The group also heard from Jim Goldberg, the association’s long-time counsel on government issues, as well as several members of NAMM’s lobbying team from Nelson, Mullins & Riley, including former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley, who is also very passionate about the importance of music in schools.

Secretary Riley brought in his good friend, Congressman Dale Kildee (D-Mich.), who said that “music education is a local function, a state responsibility and a federal concern.” Kildee also said he will urge his committee to provide additional flexibility in the next edition of the No Child Left Behind Act, which governs federal funding for public schools. In many people’s minds, this change will provide access to music education to ensure a quality and complete education for all students.

The remainder of the day was filled with presentations from Bob Lynch of Americans for the Arts, and an insightful look at the current voter data from Lake Research Partners. And all of this activity was leading up to the real work ahead—meeting face-to-face with members of Congress.

Jim D’Addario, president of D’Addario & Sons Inc., expressed his strong convictions going into the first day of meetings. “I think it’s extremely important that NAMM advocate for music education. There’s a shortage of teachers in this country. I think we have to work as an organization to entice people to become music teachers and then we have to work hard to advocate at the government level to support music education. It’s certainly been one of the most important things in my life. Not necessarily because I’m in the music business, but because I’m a musician and everyone in my family is a musician, and I think it’s made us better people. Music education is where it all starts.”

In addition to the powerful message, the NAMM delegates brought something else with them to their Hill meetings—invitations to the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, a rolling high-tech recording studio funded in part by NAMM, which was parked at the bottom of Capitol Hill and open for Congressional staffers to tour all day. The group also brought invitations to a private reception hosted by NAMM in the U.S. Capitol Building later that day, featuring celebrities David Cassidy and R&B/gospel singer Regina Belle, winner of both GRAMMY and Academy Awards.

“I don’t have any idea where I would be today without music education in school growing up,” said Belle. “Playing music helped me with math—to come up with answers to problems more quickly—and gave structure to my life. Music helped me to find confidence that I didn’t have within myself. It gave me a great thirst to learn that much more.”

Cassidy, an actor and musician best known for his role on the 1970s TV series The Partridge Family, said, “I was a horrible student. I got kicked out of three high schools. I would go to school in the morning for chorus and band, then I’d leave at lunch and go to my friend’s house to play music all afternoon. The United States must continue to give our kids the creative tools they need to achieve their dreams.”

Liane Rockley of Rockley Music said, “When you’re home in your own little world far away, you really don’t think you can make a difference. But this experience has shown me that I can. I never believed that until now.”

Neil Lilien of Meisel Strings commented, “You know, I’ve never really been much of a political person. It’s a great look at how our government really works and I’m pleased to have been a part of it this year.”

Bill Harvey from Buddy Rogers Music added, “I’ve always done it from afar—it’s much easier to send a letter or e-mail message. But to really get face-to-face with these guys and explain your message, I think that does a whole lot more.”