On Thursday, June 26, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) will lead a Congressional briefing titled “Music Education Powers STEAM: The Broader Minded Role of Music in Preparing a 21st-Century Workforce.” The briefing will be held in Room 340 of the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
Supported by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR) and Congressman Aaron Schock (IL), since its creation in 2013, the bipartisan Congressional STEAM Caucus has grown to include 63 members of Congress. The STEAM movement focuses on the inclusion of the arts in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) curricula, as the arts play a unique and critical role in helping students develop the kind of innovative and creative skills that they will need to succeed in the 21st-century workforce.
NAfME’s objective for the briefing is to explore the role of music in STEAM curricula, and to discuss how music helps students develop the workforce skills they will need to succeed after completing their studies.
“The National Association for Music Education is delighted to have the opportunity to host a dialogue on pursuing the important goals of the Congressional STEAM Caucus,” said Michael A. Butera, Executive Director and CEO of NAfME. “Along with several of our esteemed partners in the field, we will be demonstrating the importance and relevance of music education. Through implementation of best practices in music and arts education delivery, STEAM education greatly enhances student learning. We know that music education orchestrates success and that America’s students will reap the benefits of profoundly meaningful music- and arts-enriched comprehensive learning experiences. We look forward to a lively and meaningful discussion among renowned experts.”
On Friday, June 27, the day after the briefing, more than 150 music education leaders and supporters from every state in the United States and Europe will visit Capitol Hill for NAfME Hill Day 2014. They will share with elected officials the urgent need to ensure the continued preservation of school-based music programs across America.
As part of the Hill Day advocacy event Andrew Dost, a singer and composer from the GRAMMY winning musical group fun., will urge support of school-based music programs during key Hill Day 2014 congressional visits. NAfME will present Dost with its Stand 4 Music Award. Bestowed only upon select, appropriate recipients through the course of NAfME’s 100+ year history, the award recognizes a personal commitment to the promotion of the music education cause.
We are pleased to announce Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR) will offer opening remarks before the panel discussion.
Panel participants for the briefing are:
- Glenn E. Nierman, President, National Association for Music Education
- David A. Dik, National Executive Director, Young Audiences
- Dru Davison, Chair of Arts Education, Memphis City Schools, TN
The panel will be moderated by Mr. Matt Wallaert, behavioral scientist with Microsoft.
A live Tweet session will follow @NAfME with hashtags: #nafmehd14 #STEAM #musiced.
Please ask your member of Congress to attend this important briefing, and add your voice to the many who will collectively express their support for comprehensive music education. And if you plan to attend, please RSVP here.
If you have any questions about the briefing or Hill Day events, please contact Catherina Hurlburt at catherinah@nafme.org.
