NAMM Foundation keeps music part of education
As Federal and State funds dwindle, the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation steps in to help.


There are several industry groups that work to foster the creation and continued existence of music and musical performance.  One of these, that I discovered through the National Music Council and sponsored by NAMM, is called Support Music and it involves itself with music education. I found many things on their website to help continue my own efforts.
One of their programs is the community action kit. It provides templates for direct action on the local level. They provide brochures, information and a grass roots advocacy guide for parents and community organizers. My organization can use these tools to improve our own program. The foundation also offers grants and scholarships, music research information and a music achievement council, dedicated to supporting music programs in schools.

Bobby McFerrin and the power of the pentatonic

The mind works in mysterious ways. Some of these mysteries are being explored by scientists in clean, well-lit laboratories. Other explorers take to the stage.

Bobby McFerrin became famous for his unique singing style and body percussion in the early ‘80s. He is known for his improvisational technique, and for getting the audience to join him in song. "There is something almost superhuman about the range and technique of Bobby McFerrin,” says Newsweek. “He sounds, by turns, like a blackbird, a Martian, an operatic soprano, a small child, and a bebop trumpet.”

As he led audience after audience through the creative process, he started to notice something. People all over the world showed an intuitive grasp of the pentatonic scale. Give them a note or two and they will intuitively hit the next higher or lower tone on the scale when asked.