NAMM D.C. Fly-In Delegates Advocate for Music Education on Capitol Hill

Driven by a shared belief in the transformative power of music education, NAMM members gathered in Washington, D.C., this spring to raise their voices in unity for the next generation of music makers.

From May 5–8, a coalition of more than 90 NAMM members and partners representing all 50 U.S. states, congregated in our nation’s capital as part of NAMM’s 19th Advocacy D.C. Fly-In. Their goal was to meet face-to-face with their members of Congress and/or their staff and make the request to support federal funding for music education. Without funding, students across the country could face a reduction or complete loss of music and arts programs at their schools. 

The NAMM delegates, who represent NAMM member music product manufacturing companies, music retail stores and individual members, and partner organizations in communities across the states, used personal storytelling to convey the importance of music as part of a well-rounded public education. Here’s a look into how NAMM delegates spent their week on Capitol Hill.  

A Day of Service: Network With the Pros at Eastern Senior High School

The NAMM Advocacy D.C. Fly-In started off on an inspirational note, connecting NAMM members to the local D.C. community through a Day of Service, hosted by The NAMM Foundation. NAMM members arrived at Eastern Senior High School to meet with band and choir students in grades 9-12 to share information about careers in the music industry. 

Before The NAMM Foundation kicked off “Network With the Pros,” the students gave a grand musical welcome to NAMM members. First, Eastern High’s concert band took the stage with an ensemble of trombones, clarinets, euphoniums, a tuba, trumpet and flute. 

The concert band, only in its second year, has doubled the number of student participants. Many of the students who join musical programs at Eastern Senior High are playing their instruments for the first time. 

After the concert band, Eastern Senior High’s award-winning choir graced the stage and filled the auditorium with resonant voices. The student’s vocal power and passion for music left NAMM members cheering and moved — it was a perfect example of the musical education that members traveled to D.C. to advocate for.

To top off an already uplifting morning, The NAMM Foundation presented the school with a $10,000 award to support the talented musicians at Eastern High and their continued success in the high school’s music programs.  

After the student performances, “Network With the Pros” got underway in the high school’s atrium, where the students participated in roundtable discussions with the music industry professionals. 

A persistent misconception is that the music industry only offers two career pathways — that of a music educator or of a performer. NAMM members aimed to open the students’ minds to hundreds of possibilities by telling students about the various jobs that exist within the music industry — from lighting professionals and audio engineers to luthiers and warehouse managers. Many of the students weren’t aware of these jobs, and learned of other opportunities in music technology, pro audio, music retail stores and products manufacturing.

NAMM members asked the students about their musical backgrounds so that members could make connections between the students’ interests and career paths. 

The Day of Service was a meaningful exchange — NAMM members offered career insights, while students shared their talents, creating a memorable experience for everyone involved. 

Voices in the Making: Advocacy Training Day for NAMM Delegates

On day two, all delegates attended a full day of advocacy training with NAMM staff, partners in music and the arts and expert lobbyists to learn best practices for conducting meetings with their members of Congress. The 2025 delegation included both returning participants from previous NAMM Advocacy D.C. Fly-Ins and first-time attendees, with delegates representing all 50 U.S. states — bringing a rich mix of industry experience and diverse perspectives.

The briefing provided a thorough review of the coalition’s unified “ask” for full funding of ESSA’s Title I, Title II and Title IV, Part A — along with the National Endowment for the Arts — to support music education. 

In addition to the music education message, a focused group of delegates representing leading guitar makers, NAMM staff and lobbyists met with key members of Congress aimed to address the impact of potential trade restrictions on imported tonewoods used for guitar manufacturing. The goal of these meetings was to highlight possible consequences resulting from a Section 232 investigation into national security issues around importing timber/lumber. As a whole, the coalition addressed the top priorities affecting the music products industry.

“We get a ton of training from some of the smartest people you’ll ever meet, and we’re super well-prepared. The fact of the matter is, it’s such an easy conversation to have, because left- or right-leaning, [members of Congress] are all people, and they’re naturally drawn to the arts and to music.”  — Amanda Rueter, President, Ernie Williamson Music

The advocacy training day also featured mock meetings to help delegates prepare for conversations with members of Congress. Later, state groups assigned specific roles — Opener, Storyteller, The Ask and Closer — and practiced their approach as a team.

Congressman James E. Clyburn, who has represented South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1993 and has served as House Majority Whip (twice), Assistant Democratic Leader, Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, and Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, provided inspiring remarks to the Fly-In delegation. 

Representative Clyburn, who currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, played the clarinet in his high school marching band and orchestra, as well as the alto saxophone in the dance band. In 2013, NAMM honored Congressman Clyburn with the SupportMusic Champion award for his  steadfast support for music education.

Other speaker highlights of the day included visits from Willie Lyles III, chief of staff for Rep. Troy Carter, and Sebastian de la Peña, senior advisor for Rep. Lloyd Doggett and member of the Congressional Musicians’ Caucus. Both speakers shared remarks on the power of storytelling, the importance of showing how an issue affects the member’s constituents and asking how you can help — good pieces of advice before a day on The Hill.

In the evening, Fly-In delegates mingled at a reception overlooking the Capitol building with remarks from Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, representing Oregon’s 1st Congressional District. 

Representative Bonamici has been a long-time advocate for music and arts education, earning the NAMM SupportMusic Champion award in 2018 and participating regularly in NAMM’s annual Fly-Ins to Washington, D.C. Her leadership was instrumental in the passage of the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act, and NAMM was especially appreciative of her 2017 amendment advocating for sustained and increased funding for Title IV Part A. Additionally, her role as founder and co-chair of the bipartisan STEAM Caucus underscores her dedication to integrating the arts into STEM education to foster innovation and creativity. 

After a day filled with advocacy training and inspiring speakers, delegates capped it off with group photos, with the next day’s destination visible in the distance!

On The Hill

With on-and-off rain showers over the early part of the week, Fly-In delegates woke up to a clear sky and sunny Wednesday morning for a productive day on The Hill. State teams spent all day meeting with members of Congress and/or their staff. Representing close to 200 districts across the U.S., delegates took turns explaining the importance of federal funding for music education and sharing stories about how music makes a difference in their lives or in the lives of the students and customers they serve.

NAMM hosted a three-hour lunch period in the Capitol building so that delegates could take a rest stop and recharge in between meetings. It was a great time to connect with other delegates, share how their meetings were going and share some tips!

At the end of the day, Fly-In delegates participated in nearly 200 meetings — a strong representation of NAMM membership and clear voice for the music products industry.

To celebrate their achievements, delegates gathered in the Capitol’s elegant Mike Mansfield room in the early evening for hors d’oeuvres, conversations with industry friends, and remarks from NAMM President and CEO John Mlynczak and delegates who reflected on their experiences.

NAMM members continued celebrating their big day in the late evening at the NAMM Jam, where they took turns sitting in and playing classic tunes for the entire coalition and guests to enjoy.

“This is my first Fly-In, and this is absolutely not my last Fly-In. I’ve been inspired through this process to get more involved in what we do at the state level and even at the local level.”
— Hapa Perdue, Founder, The DJ Coach 

From D.C. to Districts Back Home

On the fourth and final day of the Fly-In, NAMM members met for breakfast and attended NAMM’s “Take What You Learned Back to Your State” advocacy session to discover insights from advocacy veterans on how to continue building upon their work in D.C. with strategic efforts back home. 
Panelist speakers shared a few key takeaways:

• Advocacy is most effective when pursued for the long run. Building your coalition locally is an important next step for finding and maintaining relationships with individuals who can support your cause in your district.
• Tell stories about impact in your community. Members of Congress want to hear how federal funding for music education is directly affecting students, schools and music and arts programs on the ground.
• Understand the issues deeply. Be informed about how curriculum may be narrowing and protect arts as a core subject at the state level; be able to make the case for how music education supports workforce readiness; have credible research to backup claims.

After the session, delegates exchanged their final goodbyes, with many smiles and hugs reflecting the positive shared experience they had together. 

From all of us at NAMM, thank you for a successful 19th year of the NAMM Advocacy D.C. Fly-In! We hope to see you again in 2026.