NAfME Mission – To advance music education by encouraging the understanding and making of music by all.
Membership Statistics – As of March 2022, NAfME membership consists of more than 50,000 active, retired, and preservice music teachers (with an additional 85,000 honor students and supporters). Through these members, NAfME serves millions of students nationwide through activities at all teaching levels, from preschool to graduate school.
History – Founded in 1907 with 64 members, the Association has grown to more than 130,000 members, including active music teachers, university faculty and researchers, college students preparing to be teachers, high school honor society members and MusicFriends. Formerly Music Educators National Conference, the association’s name was changed in 1998 to National Association for Music Education to better reflect its mission. NAfME celebrated its Centennial in 2007.
National Standards for Music Education – NAfME developed the National Standards for Music Education and administered the overall development of the National Standards for Arts Education (1994) under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The National Standards represent the first comprehensive set of educational standards for K–12 arts instruction. NAfME has since published more than 20 documents in instructional techniques for helping students accomplish the Standards, dealing with such issues as staffing, scheduling, equipment, technology, and assessment.
Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®) – Every March, NAfME sponsors MIOSM, a public outreach program designed to support school music programs and raise awareness of the importance of music education.
Tri-M® Music Honor Society – Tri-M welcomes student musicians in grades 6 through 12. Currently, there are more than 2,100 chapters in all 50 states, involving more than 84,000 students. Besides shining a bright light on their school’s music programs, these future leaders contribute more than 750,000 service hours in their local communities.
Publications – NAfME offers more than 100 books, as well as two general-interest magazines on music education and four more closely targeted journals.
Public Relations Activities – NAfME has an ongoing commitment to reaching the public with information about music education through press releases, interviews, and radio public service announcements.
Strategic Relationships – NAfME forms relationships with other organizations to advance the cause of music education. Projects include free online teacher’s guides, early childhood music workshops and resources, special events, and more. Current and past partners include: the Jeep® brand, the Library of Congress, NAMM: International Music Products Association, Sesame Workshop, Texaco Foundation, National Schools Boards Association, ASCAP, Save the Music Foundation, BMI, Oscar Mayer, Gibson Musical Instruments, Baldwin Piano, National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Smithsonian Institution, Dole Foods, PBS, Pepsi-Cola, Hershey’s, The United States Congress, The White House Commission on Remembrance, The Walt Disney Company, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Girl Scouts of the USA, The American Legion, and the History Channel.
Websites – www.nafme.org and www.musichonors.com
Headquarters – 1806 Robert Fulton Drive, Reston, VA 20191
Phone: 703-860-4000
Toll-free: 800-336-3768
Fax: 703-860-1531
Last update: September 15, 2020
