Purchase MIOSM Awareness Items
In March each year many music educators use national Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®) to celebrate music and draw attention to the impact music education has on students. The National Association for Music Education dedicates this month so that music teachers can demonstrate to school officials, parents and the community the benefits of a high-quality, sequential music program that shapes the way our students understand temselves, others, and the world around them.
Music programs nationwide are in danger. State and local legislators are attempting to make up for funding shortfalls in this difficult economy by cutting education budgets, which can place school music at risk. Advocacy takes place on many fronts, and advocates for music education need to learn to speak to different audiences, each of whom has a key contribution to make. Music In Our Schools Month – March 2014 – is a perfect time to get involved and do your part to ensure that America’s students have access to a comprehensive, sequential music education taught by exemplary music educators!
Want a Piece of NAfME? Our New Online Store Makes it Easy!
The new NAfME online store makes it easy to do everything from signing up for webinars to buying great new items like coffee tumblers, umbrellas, and sunglasses. Want some cool MIOSM products? This is where you’ll find them.
The theme for Music in Our Schools Month is “Music Makes Me___! Teachers can find a variety of items in the store for the annual March celebration, including
- Stickers
- Pens
- iPhone cases
- Lunch totes
- Laptop skins
- Rulers
- Posters
- Sunglasses
Prepare for the Concert for Music In Our Schools Month
Are you planning a classroom celebration or lesson, a school-wide sing-along, a community concert, or all of the above to celebrate Music In Our Schools Month?
Information about The Concert for MIOSM on the NAfME website includes sheet music and audio tracks for use during March 2014! Our sponsor, Hal Leonard, has generously provided these excellent resources for NAfME members to use in lessons, concerts, or any way that will promote the importance of quality school music programs to administrators, parents, community members, and local decision makers.
The songs for the 2014 concert are:
- “America, Of Thee I Sing”
- “Explore, Dream, Discover”
- “Shake Them ‘Simmons Down”
- “The Best In Me”
- “The Star-Spangled Banner”
- “Una Sola Voz”
Visit the concert website for the tracks and sheet music and start teaching your students today in preparation for Music In Our Schools Month! A member number is need to access those materials.
Learn how to get involved in Music In Our Schools Month
- Share Your Story — Want to help NAfME convince decision makers in 2014 that music is something worth protecting in every school? There’s no more powerful way to do so than by sharing your own personal story about how music has affected YOUR life. Tell us about the first time you picked up a clarinet in sixth grade. Reminisce about how you finally learned to play your favorite piece of music on the piano. Describe the emotions you felt when your high school choral group performed at its annual concert. Add your story to our growing collection and be a part of something bigger than you ever imagined!
- Why Music? Celebrity PSAs for MIOSM – Encourage your local radio stations to download and play on the air these 60-second celebrity messages about the importance of music education. You can also use them in your own presentations!
- Register for Your Flag Certificate – A U.S. Flag will be flown over the U.S. Capitol in 2014 in honor of MIOSM. Register to receive a certificate of commemoration.
- More MIOSM activities and ideas
What Else is on the Horizon for MIOSM 2014?
- New “Broader Minded” Advocacy Page – with info you can share with everyone!
- School/Mall Performances – Locations and dates to be announced
- Disney / Give a Note Bus Tour with Danielle Bradbery (Winner of NBC’s “The Voice”) – Details to come
Roz Fehr, January 6. 2014. © National Association for Music Education (NAfME.org)
