NAMM Joins Forces with Americans for the Arts to Promote the Benefits of Music and Arts Education for All Children

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, today announced it is joining with Americans for the Arts, the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America, in presenting a national media campaign to promote the importance of music and art education. The organizations will work together to communicate the vital role that music and all of the arts play in the lives of children as they develop, and for people of all ages.

The associations will implement a three-year national advertising campaign utilizing television, print, radio and Web site mediums, which will communicate the inherent value and benefits of active participation in music and the arts. The launch will underscore the importance of music and the arts in school, home and community life, and emphasize the critical importance of music and arts in children's education. The campaign will emphasize that being involved in the arts means much more than just participating in extra activities for children—the arts open up children's worlds and minds, and offer kids the skills they need for a bright future.

The joint initiative is a public awareness campaign called "Art. Ask for More," developed with the Ad Council, the nation's public service messaging organization that assists nonprofits and service organizations in presenting public benefit advertising campaigns across various media.

"This partnership is very important to NAMM and its Members," said Joe Lamond, president and CEO, NAMM. "By working with Americans in the Arts and the Ad Council, we believe we can expand access to arts education in this country."

In recent years, NAMM has sponsored research that expands understanding about the ways music education helps children develop cognitively, socially and academically. A recent NAMM-sponsored study conducted at McMaster University in Canada, stated that children who take music lessons show different brain development and improved memory over the course of a year compared to children who do not receive musical training.

"Americans for the Arts is pleased to have NAMM as a partner in the 'Art. Ask for More.' public service campaign. The arts are vital to a well-rounded education for our nation's children. This campaign will give parents the tips and tools for providing more arts education opportunities for their children in both school and their communities," said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts.

About Americans for the Arts
Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With its national network of organizations and citizens, it has a record of more than 45 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.