Why Music?
A Radio Public Service Announcement Series Featuring Pop, Country, Jazz, and Classical Musicians
Produced by the National Association for Music Education
General Information
Why Music? is a series of radio public service announcements produced twice annually by NAfME to coincide with Music In Our Schools Month in March and with the traditional beginning of school in late August. The series features top country, pop, jazz, and classical artists talking about the value of music education. It is targeted for audiences of adult contemporary, country, classical and jazz. The Country Music Association, ASCAP, National Music Council, the Birchmere Music Hall, the Yale Repertory Theatre, and Wolf Trap, America’s National Park for the Performing Arts, have assisted in facilitating artist participation.
Awards
Why Music? has been recognized widely for its high quality and effectiveness.
- Mercury Awards – 2003 Honors for campaign/public service announcements category.
- Communication Concepts – 2003 Apex Award for Publication Excellence : Public Relations & Information Video & Electronic Publications
- League of American Communications Professionals — 2002 Magellan Awards Publicity Campaign Competition: Bronze Award, Community Relations
- The Communicator Awards — 2002 Audio Competition: Crystal Award of Excellence
- PR News — 2002 Platinum PR Award: Honorable Mention, PSA Campaign
- Public Relations Society of America — 2001 Bronze Anvil Award: Best Radio Public Service Announcement Campaign
Help NAfME Get the PSAs Played
You can help get this series aired by calling your local adult contemporary, country, jazz, or classical station and asking the station manager to play the PSAs. If the station manager is unaware of the series and would like more information, please direct him or her to this website or ask him or her to contact 800-336-3768 or Marketing.
You can also send the name, address, phone number and e-mail address of your local pop, country, jazz or classical station (including the program director’s name would be helpful) to Marketing. We will send a message stating that a listener has alerted NAfME that this station might be interested in the series. (Radio Locator is a helpful site for finding station information.)
Participating Artists
- Backstreet Boys
- Pat Benatar
- Boyz II Men
- Harry Connick Jr.
- Gloria Estefan
- Vince Gill
- Faith Hill
- Al Jarreau
- Alison Krauss
- Martina McBride
- Tim McGraw
- Mandy Patinkin
- Joshua Redman
- Darius Rucker
- Vanessa Williams
Note: Not all artists are represented in our current PSAs but have participated over the years.
A Final Note
Why Music? is part of NAFME’s continuing efforts to advance music education by encouraging the study and making of music by all. More information and resources.
All transcriptions and sound files: Copyright © 2011 by National Association for Music Education. 1806 Robert Fulton Drive, Reston, VA 20191. www.nafme.org.
Why Music? is produced by JDM & Associates, Frederick, MD.
