What’s Your “This little light of mine, I’m


gonna let it shine…let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!” Every day we spread a little light by teaching music. How do we make sure the light of music education shines outside of our classrooms? What means do we use to make sure others see music education’s light? In reality, the responsibility of spreading the “good news” about music education does not squarely rest on the shoulders of music teachers. Advocacy is the responsibility of every parent, community member, student, and administrator.


I am honored that


President Greg Gumina asked me to serve as AMEA’s Advocacy Chair for 2018-2020. Advocacy is something I am passionate about because like all of you, I have experienced the transformative power of music education. I am also committed to advocacy because I believe every child in our state should be provided with a comprehensive and well-rounded education. I am certain we all share the same zeal for children and for our profession.


a fifth grader.


My advocacy journey started as The K-6 elementary


school I attended in Panama City Beach, FL was overcrowded. The solution was to build a new middle school to house grades 4-8. The only problem was that the new middle school would not have


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music for fourth and fifth graders. We were told not to worry because we could pick up music again in sixth grade when we joined band or choir. Coming from a long line of music educators, I knew and understood the importance of a comprehensive music education. A nonexistent fourth and fifth grade music education was not acceptable. We were accustomed to weekly music instruction and an honor choir at our old elementary school. I was going to make sure we had, at least, the same music education as we did in our old school.


I did what any advocate would


have done in the late 1980s – I organized the troops. I took a group of students to speak with the principal and plead our case for providing elementary students with music instruction. I encouraged students to write letters.


met with the choir director and band director to beg them to find time in the schedule for elementary music.


Story? I My


most desperate act, and the one I got in trouble for, was sneaking into the teacher’s lounge. I placed advocacy flyers my dad received at the FMEA conference and letters from students in the teachers’ mailboxes. The teachers did not appreciate receiving my advocacy materials. After my fifth grade teacher punished me, she said, “You shouldn’t have gone into the teacher’s


by Rob Lyda


private space, but you showed that you have real gumption. Not the smartest move, but I’ll give you gumption.”


I


guess my gumption made the difference. Either I made an impression or pestered the principal and middle school choir director enough that they finally relented. The school schedule changed at the start of the second nine weeks to allow time to teach elementary music and offer honor choir. Not only do I view this as a win for my personal music education, but also as a turning point that ignited a flame to use my voice for the rest of my life. I share this personal story because often the most powerful advocacy efforts are propelled by personal experiences. I’m sure you too have a touchstone moment that ignited your passion for music education. We need to be willing to share those moments with others. As an organization, we need to


examine our current advocacy efforts to develop an effective process and plan moving forward to advocate for music education. This can be accomplished with four goals.


establish the Music Education Advocacy Council.


Our first goal is to We need


representatives from K-12, higher education, industry, community arts partnerships, and non-traditional voices to be on the council. I have contacted each division president soliciting


August/September 2018


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