The NAMM Foundation Encourages Support of Music Education at the 2009 NAMM Show

The NAMM Foundation announced that it recently hosted multiple events at the NAMM Show that were focused on keeping music education strong in schools. The Foundation hopes to raise awareness within the music products industry about the critical importance of being active in their communities in order to maintain support for music education programs in today’s economic environment.

“NAMM Foundation research has shown the numerous and powerful academic and social benefits to children who participate in music education,” said Mary Luehrsen, director of public affairs and government relations at NAMM. “This is why we continue our outreach efforts and support of national programs that perpetuate children’s involvement in school music.”

On the opening day of the show, NAMM presented its prestigious Grand Marshal Award to three important influencers in honor of their contributions to school music education.

The honorees were: Anne L. Bryant, Ed.D, executive director of the National School Boards Association, who heads a federation of state and territorial organization dedicated to advancing education through citizen governance of public schools; Tim Lautzenheiser, executive director of education for Conn-Selmer, Inc., who is a well-known name in the music education world as a teacher, clinician, author, composer, conductor, consultant and mentor to young people; and Inez Hussey, co-director of King George VI Centre, an organization focused on providing rehabilitation and boarding facilities to children growing up with physical disabilities in Zimbabwe.

“NAMM was proud to honor three people who are extremely passionate about the arts and helping children and teens find a creative outlet in playing music,” said Mary Luehrsen, director of public affairs and government relations at NAMM. “Without these types of mentors, children and teens might not have the exposure to the joys that music can offer them over their lifetimes.”

The NAMM Foundation also celebrated 15 years of commitment from the music products industry to promote quality guitar instruction in schools. Since 1994, NAMM has supported Teaching Guitar Workshops, a program developed with MENC, the National Association for Music Education, to train music educators to use a fundamental approach toward teaching guitar. Officers of NAMM presented the Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association (GAMA) with a celebratory check for $774,200 representing NAMM’s contribution to GAMA’s efforts to maintain and grow this significant program over the years.

A recent study by Dr. Rob Horowitz of Columbia University showed that 96 percent of the teachers who participated in GAMA’s training reported that the workshop’s content was relevant to their teaching methods, while 87 percent of teachers stated that their school administrations support their efforts to initiate guitar lessons in their schools.

Also held the opening day of the NAMM Show was a SupportMusic Coalition teleconference covering the topic “Advocacy Today: Community Challenges and Solutions for Keeping Music Education Strong Now—This Fiscal Year, Next year and Beyond.” The meeting of more than 60 music education advocates from all over the United States was held in a town hall format, opening up important dialogue on how to increase the public’s awareness about the growing challenge of making music available to children and teens. Executives from the National PTA, National School Boards Association and MENC participated in the panel discussion with Coalition affiliates.

On the last day of the NAMM Show, the NAMM Foundation hosted the second annual “Music Education Day,” which featured keynote speaker Larry Livingston, music director at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music and the director of educational initiatives for The Guitar Center. Livingston stressed the need to expand school music offerings to a wider student population, and spoke about the importance of developing in-school experiences designed to encourage students to pursue ongoing music making during their lifetimes.

The 2009 Music Education Day drew 322 U.S. music educators, a more than 100 percent increase over last year’s event, and attracted more industry representatives than the previous year’s event.

The education-related events also included hosting 22 nonprofit NAMM Foundation program grant recipients and key partners who showcased their community outreach efforts at the NAMM Foundation booth; a week-long meeting of the executive committee of the International Society for Music Education; a task force of band directors and music educators representing historically black colleges and universities; a board meeting of the California Music Project; and industry educational sessions that explored music advocacy and ways to expand the effort.

About NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation is a non-profit organization with the mission of advancing active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs from the international music products industry.  For more information about The NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org