March 2024 Marks the 39th Music In Our Schools Month®

For Immediate Release
Contact: Catherina Hurlburt at NAfME
catherinah@nafme.org or (703) 860-4000

March 2024 Marks the 39th Music In Our Schools Month®

This Year’s MIOSM® Theme Is “I See ME in Music Education”

HERNDON, VA (March 19, 2024)—National Association for Music Education (NAfME) recognizes March as the thirty-ninth annual Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®). This March, music educators and music students are celebrating music education in their school communities demonstrating how the theme “I See ME in Music Education” resonates with them.

“NAfME is excited to kick off this month-long celebration about the power that music has to make a difference in the lives of our students and people all across the country,” stated NAfME President Scott R. Sheehan. “I have had the honor and privilege as the NAfME President to travel across the country and see the amazing music-making in our schools. This year’s theme, ‘I See Me,’ is meant to reach everyone on a very personal level, so they can see themselves reflected in the music that they’re making in their schools. Each person’s musical identity is unique and deserves to be celebrated this month and all year long.”

On March 11, NAfME and the Country Music Association (CMA) Foundation cohosted “Harmony on Capitol Hill: Celebrating 39 Years of Music In Our Schools Month®,” a congressional briefing that was shared on Facebook Live at facebook.com/NAfME and can now be viewed at bit.ly/HarmonyOnCapitolHillMIOSM2024. Speakers included: Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (NY-07); NAfME President Scott R. Sheehan; Tiffany Kerns, CMA Foundation Executive Director; Jenna Dietrich, president of the University of Maryland NAfME Collegiate chapter; Christopher Woodside, NAfME Executive Director; and CMA Music Teachers of Excellence Jared Cassedy (Lexington, MA), Shawna Longo (Westfield, NJ), and DaJuana Hammonds (Nashville, TN). Congresswoman Velázquez introduced the Music In Our Schools Month federal resolution which NAfME encourages advocates to urge their U.S. Representatives and Senators to cosponsor and support.

NAfME is also encouraging music education supporters to amplify the difference music education has made in their lives and reach out to federal elected officials to support fully funding Titles I, II, and IV-A. Follow #MIOSM and #MusicIsMe on social media.

Throughout the month of March, NAfME-affiliated state music education associations are also participating in advocacy activities, including holding meetings with state and local elected officials, sharing why music education must continue to be funded and supported. Among the states whose governors have passed proclamations recognizing March as Music In Our Schools Month are Alabama, Maryland, New Hampshire, and North Carolina.

Since 1985, MIOSM has been observed as an annual month-long celebration when schools and communities celebrate music in their local schools and the educators who dedicate themselves to bring music into the lives of students every day. The NAfME Council for General Music Education has provided teachers lesson plans they can use throughout the whole school year. This year NAfME has provided classroom materials for MIOSM that teachers can share with their schools as they celebrate how “I See ME in Music Education” connects with students and communities. All of these items are available at nafme.org/MIOSM.

NAfME encourages teachers and music education advocates to share on social media how their schools are celebrating music education, using the hashtags #MusicIsMe and #MIOSM and tagging “@NAfME”.

Music In Our Schools Month® and MIOSM® are trademarks of NAfME and may not be used for fundraising or materials produced for profit.

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The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) is a collaborative community that supports music educators and advocates for equitable access to music education. The only association that addresses all aspects of music education, NAfME, together with its affiliated state music education associations, advocates at the national, state, and local levels and provides resources and opportunities for teachers, students, parents, and administrators. Founded in 1907 and representing more than 57,000 members teaching millions of students, NAfME advances the music education profession and promotes lifelong experiences in music.

Follow NAfME on Facebook (facebook.com/nafme), Instagram (instagram.com/nafme), and Twitter (twitter.com/nafme). For additional information, contact Catherina Hurlburt at catherinah@nafme.org or 703-860-4000.