Dr. John Benham

Oral History Information

Interview Date
Job Title
Founder
Company Name
John Benham & Associates
Tags
NAMM Foundation, Music Education / Music Teachers, Public Schools, Music Advocacy, Authors-Writers, NABIM (National Association of Band Instrument Manufacturers), Band and Orchestra, MENC (Music Educators National Conference)

Dr. John Benham’s area of expertise is saving and restoring music programs in the face of budget cuts. With over 30 years as a music educator and six years on a school board, his personal knowledge and experience has provided a unique understanding to help teachers and parents go before a school board and administration with language they understand. His methods are responsible for saving over $72 million in budgetary cuts to music programs, leading to the restoration of over 2,000 teaching positions and the continuation of music programs for over 500,000 students. In addition to his work as consultant with NABIM (The Band and Instrument Manufacturers Association), he is author of Music Advocacy: Moving from Survival to Vision, and has been featured as a speaker at conferences throughout North America. He is a member of the ACDA and ASTA advocacy committees, and the MENC Task Force on advocacy. His plan and elements of his approach to this very significant problem have become a part of NAMM’s advocacy kit for music.