The National Association for Music Education and the Music Education Policy Roundtable, of which the National Music Council is a member, have been invited to develop and participate in a Congressional briefing on the importance of maintaining access to music education programs. The briefing, sponsored by Rock and Roll Caucus and Caucus Co-chair, Marcia Fudge (OH -11), is slated to take place on April 3rd, from 2 – 3 PM EDT in the Rayburn House Office Building Room 2456.

Titled “Music Matters,” the briefing will feature a panel comprised of representatives from several prominent music education organizations, including Roundtable Member-Groups NAfME and VH1: Save the Music Foundation. The focus of the proceedings will be on informing the masses about the importance of our legislative agenda and support for it through the Music Education Policy Roundtable.

We will also introduce, and share with attendees, the exciting new “Broader Minded” advocacy campaign. If you would like to add your organization to the list of groups endorsing Broader Minded, please contact Chris Woodside, and your logo will be added to the endorsements page: http://www.broaderminded.com/endorsements.html.

We have also set up a “write your member of Congress” page where constituents can urge their legislators and their staff to attend this Thursday’s briefing. We invite you to please share this with your members as well. Encouragement from constituent voices to their members of Congress could effectively drive the target audience we want to this briefing to promote music education. The web page is: http://www.broaderminded.com/congress.html.

Thank you, as always for your continued support of our collaborative music education advocacy efforts. Opportunities such as this one are extremely precious and rare, and demonstrate the progress that we are making as a coalition in both furthering the cause and asserting our relevance.