NAfME is here for you as a current, retired, or future music educator, and music education supporters. We are only as strong as our collective voices advocating for music education. Join today: nafme.org/membership From the video: We are the National Association for Music Education, a collaborative community supporting music educators, advocating for equitable access to music education, an association where all people are heard, seen, and feel like they belong. Music is unique to the human experience and is essential to our humanity. Join us in our mission.

Title funding impacts dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts education in K–12 schools. Learn how programs like Title I, II, and IV-A can support your schools! bit.ly/ArtsEdAlliance (link in bio) And take action today to protect this funding: bit.ly/Advocate4ArtsEd (link in bio) #EdFunding @ndeodance @naea_arteducators @mediaartsedu @schooltheatre @nafmecollegiateofficial

Register for the June 3 professional learning webinar “Investigating Innovators of the Past to Meet Curricular Goals of the Present” presented by Kendra Kay Friar: https://bit.ly/InvestigatingInnovators (link in bio) About the webinar: Collegiate NAfME members from @pacificu and their instructor, Kendra Kay Friar, share their personal connections to four curricular innovators from history: Nathaniel Clark Smith, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Belle Ortiz, and Lois Choksy. The presenters will connect their in-progress professional identity development to the pioneering work of historical role models. Repertoire and pedagogical suggestions pioneered by each role model will also be presented. Participants are invited to sing, dance, create, and analyze music while considering diverse voices still relevant to contemporary practice. Join tomorrow’s teachers for an inspirational visit to the past. @nafmecollegiateofficial

Yesterday, NAfME was proud to attend @cong_record 2026, celebrating the incredible power of music and arts education to connect, inspire, and unite people from all walks of life. The event, which highlights the musical talents of Members of Congress from across the country, served as a powerful reminder of the lasting impact arts education can have on individuals and communities nationwide. Representing NAfME at the event were President Cecil Adderley, Western Division President-Elect Anne Fennell, Southern Division President-Elect Annamarie Bollino, and Assistant Executive Director for Advocacy and Public Policy Amanda Karhuse, who enjoyed an unforgettable evening of music, creativity, and advocacy on Capitol Hill. Photo #1 – Anne Fennell, Annamarie Bollino, Cecil Adderley, and Amanda Karhuse at Congressional Record Photo #2 – State-specific music info at Congressional Record

This week, NAfME was proud to participate in the #NAMMFlyIn and Hill Day in Washington, DC, advocating for strong federal funding and continued Congressional support for music education. On Capitol Hill, NAfME President Cecil Adderley, Southern Division President-Elect Annamarie Bollino, and Assistant Executive Director for Advocacy and Public Policy Amanda Karhuse connected with Representative Suhas Subramanyam (VA) and staff members from the offices of Representatives Jim McGovern (MA-2), Bobby Scott (VA-3), and Eugene Vindman (VA-7) to discuss the transformative impact of federal investment in music education. They were pleased to be joined by NAMM Board Member Jenna Day and delegates Chris Davis, Joe Heffernan, and Jon Miller. Adding even more excitement to the day, @missamerica @cassiedonegan brought her passion for arts education to Capitol Hill, energizing conversations and inspiring others with her powerful commitment to music and the arts. Beyond the day’s advocacy meetings, Amanda Karhuse also shared her expertise as a featured panelist at the fly-in, participating in a valuable discussion on effective strategies for framing music education funding requests. NAfME is grateful to stand alongside dedicated advocates with @nammassociation in elevating the importance of music education and ensuring students nationwide have access to meaningful music learning opportunities. Photo #1 – Amanda Karhuse (on right) speaking during Tuesday panel discussion “Making the Ask: Music Education Funding” Photo #2 – Annamarie Bollino, Chris Davis (NAMM delegate), @repsuhas (VA), and Amanda Karhuse Photo #3 – Staff for @repmcgovern (MA), Cecil Adderley, Joe Heffernan (NAMM delegate), and Amanda Karhuse Photo #4 – Amanda Karhuse, Annamarie Bollino, Jenna Day (NAMM board member), Jon Miller (NAMM delegate), and staff for @repbobbyscott (VA) Photo #5 - Amanda Karhuse, Miss America Cassie Donegan, Jenna Day (NAMM board member), Jon Miller (NAMM delegate), and Chris Davis (NAMM Delegate) Photo #6 – Annamarie Bollino, staff for @repvindman (VA), Amanda Karhuse and Chris Davis (NAMM Delegate)

Tune in to Season Two, Episode Seven of The Music Education Advocate Podcast!🎙️ In this episode, host Jazzmone Sutton sits down with Massachusetts music education advocates Tony Beatrice and Allyson Rottman for a behind-the-scenes look at the Lowell Mason Arts Education Equity Act, proposed legislation designed to expand and strengthen arts education across Massachusetts schools. Tony and Allyson discuss how they built momentum for the initiative, share practical advice for advocates working on state-level legislation, and highlight the power of grassroots organizing and strong legislative partnerships. Their message is clear: meaningful change takes patience, persistence, and people willing to keep the momentum going. Listen now: Listen now: bit.ly/TheMusicEducationAdvocatePodcast @massachusetts_mea

Today is #NAMMFlyIn! NAfME is proud to participate in the @nammassociation Hill Day activities, with President Cecil Adderley and Assistant Executive Director for Advocacy and Public Policy Amanda Karhuse joining in Capitol Hill office visits. Learn more: /issues-and-advocacy/fly-in

Today NAfME Assistant Executive Director for Advocacy and Public Policy Amanda Karhuse will present during a panel discussion, “Making the Ask: Music Education Funding,” at the National Association for Music Merchants’ Advocacy Fly-In in Washington, DC. During the session, Amanda will share valuable insights with advocates on how to frame conversations with members of Congress and clearly communicate how federal funding directly impacts music programs in their communities. Hosted by our valued partners at @nammassociation , the #NAMMFlyIn gives industry advocates the opportunity to champion the positive impact of music education and make the case for why federal funding remains an essential investment in supporting students nationwide.

Register today for the May 27 professional learning webinar “Teaching Musicality to Orchestra Students” presented by Philip Baldwin: https://bit.ly/MusicalityOrchestra (link in bio) About the webinar: Students can learn to be proactive and perform more musically if taught to recognize “composer clues.” The session will identify many clues and offer suggestions for implementation during rehearsal. Some of these clues are: basic dynamic shapes, following the line, principals of additive phrasing and accelerated motion, chromatic notes as text painting, seeing the simplified phrase, and repeated pitches and octave displacements. Examples from the standard school orchestra literature will be used to demonstrate these principles.

Did you miss the April 29 webinar “Orchestrating Opportunity: Expanding Music Education Pathways Through CTE”? You can watch the recording now and access the presentation slides with related resources. https://bit.ly/MusicEdPathwaysCTE (link in bio) During this session, presenters covered key elements of CTE, including funding and program eligibility, and explored how music pathways—such as performance, recording and production, audio engineering, and stage technology—can align with CTE career clusters while maintaining artistic rigor. Thank you to cohosts: @grammymuseum @musicwill @inspireedu.us @nammfoundation @savethemusic

Register today for the May 19 professional learning webinar “Navigating Emotional Risk in the Music Classroom” presented by Terri Felton: https://bit.ly/NavEmotionalRisk (link in bio) About the webinar: What is emotional risk and how does it affect our teaching? Learning how students perceive and respond to emotional risk can inform much of what we (and our students) do in our classrooms. In this session, we will discuss concepts and strategies to scaffold emotional risk, helping all students feel safe and welcome to fully participate in active music making. Be prepared to engage in large and small group strategies that you can use with your students, as well as learn about the psychology behind these strategies to help reach all your students in a meaningful way. While examples will come from elementary instrumental, vocal, and general music classes, music educators from all disciplines can benefit from this session.

New advocacy blog: “A new rule from the U.S. Department of Education, finalized at the end of April 2026, marks a noteworthy shift in how graduate students are classified for federal student loan purposes,” writes Amber Friel, NAfME Communications Manager for Advocacy and Public Policy. “This much-disputed decision carries real implications for future music educators and others pursuing advanced degrees in education.” Read “New ‘Professional Student’ Definition Reshapes Federal Student Loan Limits”: https://bit.ly/ProfessionalStudentDefinition (link in bio)