NAMM Foundation Supports and Participates in the 5th 'Americans for the Arts National Arts Policy Roundtable at Sundance'

The NAMM Foundation announced today that it sponsored and participated in the fifth annual Americans for the Arts National Arts Policy Roundtable at Sundance on Sept. 24, featuring a gathering of people from various professions and backgrounds who care about advancing the arts nationwide.

This year's roundtable drew 30 participants to the Sundance Institute, a non-profit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981 that supports people involved in the arts. Representatives at the event ranged from young musicians and film directors to chairs of television network stations and presidents of corporations and nonprofit organizations. Redford and Robert Lynch, president and CEO of the Americans for the Arts, are the co-conveners of the annual event.

Mary Luehrsen, executive director of the NAMM Foundation, participated in the roundtable event and supported the organization's mission to advance active participation in music making across the lifespan.

This year's topic was “The Role of the Arts in Educating America for Great Leadership and Economic Strength,” and encouraged discussion about how the arts can create vibrant learning environments that engage students by unlocking their creative potential and building the confidence that helps them succeed.

As agreed upon at the inaugural meeting five years ago, the three principles supported by the National Arts Policy Roundtable are:

1. Literacy in the arts is an essential educational goal for the 21st century.
2. The arts both nurture and enhance creative inquiry and innovation, complementing other fields that depend on these applied skills such as math, science and engineering.
3. To foster and develop creativity and innovation skills that can be applied in life and work, opportunities for arts learning must begin before kindergarten and continue throughout higher education, as well as in the community and the workplace itself.

“It is immensely refreshing to see such a diverse group of people representing not only the arts but the corporate and private business sectors who are dedicated to the belief that the arts is an essential part of a whole education, and is a pathway to creating and training a more creative workforce for the future,” Luehrsen said.

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.