Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®)
For more than 40 years, March has been officially designated by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) for the observance of Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®), the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools and communities across the nation.
The purpose of MIOSM is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children—and to remind citizens that school is where all children should have access to music. MIOSM is an opportunity for music teachers to bring their music programs to the attention of the school and the community, and to display the value that school music brings to students of all ages.
MIOSM and the events surrounding it are the ideal opportunities for increasing awareness of the benefits of high-quality music education programs in our nation's schools. NAfME hopes that teachers, students, and music supporters alike will find ways to join the celebration through creative activities and advocacy.
2025-26 MIOSM Resources
Call for Compositions:
- Submissions will be open October 1, 2025, to January 16, 2026.
- Learn about the call and view submission guidelines
- 2025–26 MIOSM Lesson Plan Framework and Criteria
- View the submission criteria rubric
- Download the Student Parent Teacher Release Form
- Watch this message from Council Chairs on how to submit your composition
- Example student submission
Ideas and Tips from the NAfME Council for General Music Education:
- Favorite Thing about Being a Music Teacher - Gail Shriver
- Favorite Thing about Being a Music Teacher - Estela Torres Guernsey
- Favorite Thing about Being a Music Teacher - Rob Lyda
- It Works for Me - Steph Benischek
- It Works for Me - Molly Park
- It Works for Me - Jonathan Dillon
- Kids Say the Darndest Things - Rob Lyda
- Kids Say the Darndest Things - Steph Benischek
- What to Say to Tough Students - Ashleigh Lore
- What to Say to Tough Students - Judy Bush
Activity Ideas to Involve Your School and Community
- National press release (coming soon)
- Merchandise for Purchase (2026 items now available)
- 2026 Tumblers available for preorder through January 12
- MIOSM Shareable Graphics
- General Music Council Town Hall 2025: General Music Curriculum Design: Using the Same Repertoire for Many Purposes
- General Music Council Town Hall 2024: General Music Ideas for Music In Our Schools Month
- Collegiate MIOSM Social Media Campaign (2026 plan TBA)
- Concert Program Insert Landscape, Portrait (update for 2026 coming soon)
Lesson Plans:
- INSPIRE Music Curriculum: Creative Music and Composition Projects for K-12 Teachers and Students
- Kindergarten Curriculum Design: Using the Same Repertoire for Many Purposes
- First Grade Curriculum Design: Using the Same Repertoire for Many Purposes
- Second Grade Curriculum Design: Using the Same Repertoire for Many Purposes
- Third Grade Curriculum Design: Using the Same Repertoire for Many Purposes
- Fourth Grade Curriculum Design: Using the Same Repertoire for Many Purposes
- Fourth and Fifth Grades Curriculum Design: Using the Same Repertoire for Many Purposes
- “When Louis Armstrong Taught Me Scat” (4th grade)
- “Multiliterate Approach to Chord Lyric Notation in Class Guitar” (middle/high school)
- “Scale Wars: A Music Theory Saga” (middle/high school)
- “Favorite Song and Artist” (middle/high school)
- “Modern Band Meets the Secondary Choral Rehearsal” (high school)
Important Trademark Notice:
Music In Our Schools Month® is a trademark held by NAfME; any related phrasing (Music In Our Schools Month® and MIOSM®) must include the registered trademark symbol. Any related phrasing should be hyperlinked to: https://nafme.org/. Any related phrasing or logos may not be used for fundraising or materials produced for profit. The logo may not be altered. To request use of the MIOSM logo, such as using it on a website or school t-shirt, email: lisam@nafme.org. Please include details regarding where the logo will be placed and any mock-up designs as applicable for review and approval.
