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.


The efforts and priorities of the NAMM Foundation coincide with my own efforts and priorities. Their marketing includes maintaining a media presence through press releases and announcements. Through these channels, they keep their own name in front of public eyes. At the same time, they are promoting the idea that scholarship and music go hand in hand.
The music research arm of the foundation includes surveys, such as the “Best Communities for Music Education” in the United States, conducted since 1998. The 2010 winner, named in the face of an economy that depletes state and county musical coffers, was Abington School District in Pennsylvania. Acalanes High School, in Lafayette, California, came in second. They also highlight studies showing that music benefits the brain and offer scientific reasons to play music.


Their legislative arm reaches out to government agencies to advocate for music in the schools. Just recently, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan offered testimony before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce that a “well-rounded curriculum” is important for students. He stressed its importance in real education reform. His remarks came after a discussion with Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, a supporter of the NAMM Foundation.Their objective is quite simple: keep musical education in our public schools. 


The objective of Band Off is the same: we want to not only continue to educate our youth in musical skills, but we offer a continuation of that education. We offer a real world knowledge base that young artists can tap into, can make their own. We take the education offered at the high school level ad extend it into the working world of the responsible adult.