NAMM Back-to-School Music Education Advocacy Updates

children playing music

August 5, 2024

Music Education Advocacy as a NAMM Policy priority is essential to ensuring that every student has access to music education. NAMM’s advocacy highlights the importance of funding music education by demonstrating the academic and emotional development benefits for students. NAMM member businesses work closely with NAMM to engage their local and state representatives and school boards.

NAMM’s year-round advocacy activities include:

  • Galvanizing support for bills introduced by Members of Congress that further support and fund music and the arts.
  • Collaborating with NAMM members to write Members of Congress to ask for their support for federal funding programs, such as Title I, Title II, and Title IV, Part A.
  • Acknowledging commitment to music education in schools and districts through The NAMM Foundation Best Communities for Music Education program, which in its 25th year awarded 1,000 schools and districts with national recognition.  
  • Engaging with elected officials in Sacramento as part of the California Music Education Association’s annual Stand Up 4 Music event. 
  • Research supporting the benefits of music education.
  • Consider a Career in Music materials supporting workforce development.

As we head back-to-school this fall, below is a recap of our recent efforts and updates on key policy issues:

NAMM Music Education Advocacy D.C. Fly-In

photo collage with namm members in washington, d.c.
NAMM members in action at The 2023 NAMM Music Education Advocacy D.C. Fly-In

Our signature federal advocacy event, The NAMM Music Education Advocacy D.C. Fly-In, is an opportunity for our members to educate Members of Congress on the impact of NAMM’s 15,400 members that represent the $19.5 billion music products industry with a workforce of half a million people.  

The 18th  NAMM Fly-In took place in November 2023, when 84 NAMM members representing 41 states held 147 meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to ask for federal funding for music education. Of those meetings, 52 were held with offices that held positions on crucial decision-making committees or subcommittees. The NAMM Music Education Advocacy Fly-In educates, trains and convenes NAMM member businesses annually in Washington, D.C.  

The 19th NAMM Fly-In will take place May 5-8, 2025, and we look forward to once again returning to Washington, D.C. to advocate for federal funding for distribution to school districts.  NAMM’s advocacy is essential to highlight the importance of funding music education for the academic and emotional development of students. This, in turn, contributes to the growth of NAMM member businesses and our local, state and national economies.

NAfME Hill Day

cmea delegates stand outside rep. mike levin's office
NAMM supported NAfME's 2023 Hill Day in Washington, D.C.

In June 2024, NAMM joined the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) for their annual Hill Day, where more than 300 educators, college students and Music Education Policy Roundtable member organizations held 160 meetings with Members of Congress to ask that they support the following vital legislative items in support of music education:  

  • Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Funding Fiscal Year 2025
    • Title I, Part A (Supporting Access to Music Education for the Most Disadvantaged Students): $20.5 billion
    • Title II, Part A (Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High-Quality Teacher, Principals, or Other School Leaders): $3 billion
    • Title IV, Part A (Supporting Access to Music Education as Part of a Well-Rounded Education): $1.6 billion
  • Reimagining Inclusive Arts Education Act—Seeks to increase access to and quality of arts education for students with disabilities. Provides funding to promote curricula, best practices and professional development for arts educators working with students with disabilities.
  • Educators for America Act—Seeks to reform and rebuild the educator pipeline to increase the number of diverse and highly qualified education personnel.
  • Arts Education for All Act—Expands arts education and programming in early childcare and prioritizes professional development for arts educators. Requires research and data collection on the use of arts in elementary and secondary schools.

Federal Budget Update: Where We Are Now

On March 23, 2024, President Biden signed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, which provided federal funding for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY2024) through September 30, 2024, for the U.S. Department of Education, National Endowment for the Arts, and several other departments and agencies. The Act contains six individual appropriations bills and passed the House (286-134) and Senate (74-24) days prior.  NAMM was proud to share that several of our priorities on behalf of the music products industry were included in those appropriations, including:  

  • $18.41 billion for K-12 Title I Grants for Local Educational Agencies, a $20 million increase from FY2023.
  • $1.38 billion for Title IV, Part A Student Support, and Academic Enrichment Grants, maintaining FY2023 funding. 
  • $2.19 billion for Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants, maintaining FY2023 funding.
  • $207 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, maintaining FY2023 funding.

On July 10, 2024, the House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies.  The bill now moves to the full House for consideration.  

The U.S. Department of Education budget would be cut by $11 billion, including an almost $5 billion reduction in Title I funding – a NAMM priority for increased spending. The following are Committee-approved actions on other key programs for which NAMM has been a longtime advocate for increased spending.  

  • Title I – $13.7 billion, $4.7 billion (25%) decrease – provides grants for supplemental assistance to schools with high percentages of students from low-income families, serves 25,000,000 students in nearly 90% of school districts and nearly 60% of all public schools.
  • Title IV Part A – $1.4 billion, $10 million increase – provides grants to SEAs and LEAs for flexible resources toward a well-rounded education for students, including rigorous coursework; improve school conditions; expand use of technology.
  • Title II – Eliminated – has provided grants to States and school districts for professional development for teachers, principals, and administrators to help them improve student achievement.
  • National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding is in the FY2025 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, which also is pending full House consideration.  NEA provides grants to school districts to support programs that expand arts learning, create jobs, and enhance economic development.  The Committee-approved bill proposes total NEA spending at $204 million, a $3 million decrease from FY24.

September 30, 2024, is the end date for the Continuing Resolution and there is an urgent need to remain engaged with elected officials to keep support for music education at current or increased funding levels.  

What You Can Do

As a NAMM member, you have an important voice in our advocacy efforts. Back to school is a great time to engage leaders in your local school district to promote the importance of music education. Consider implementing the “music education advocacy to-do list” below to ensure music learning is part of a well-rounded education during the school year.  

  • Order Why Learn to Play Music brochures from The NAMM Foundation and distribute them to parents and school administrators.  Post information about the benefits of learning music on your social media and @ your elected officials.
  • Meet with school administrators and offer to educate them on the use of federal funding to start or expand music education programs.
  • Ramp up visibility of music education programs that have received a Best Communities for Music Education designation on social media.
  • Order and distribute Consider a Career in Music brochures and download the careers in music presentation toolkit.  
  • Save the date for the NAMM Music Education D.C. Fly-In, May 5-8, 2025
  • Share The Impact of Federal Funds on Music & Arts Education: Results from 2023 Survey, a collaboration between The NAMM Foundation, NAfME and other partner organizations to collect data about the use of federal funds to support music and arts education.  

Finally, with September 30 quickly approaching, it is more important than ever that you reach out to Members of Congress to ask them to allocate funds to the programs that support music and arts education for FY2025. Our partners at NAfME have made this very easy to do with their advocacy tool, which prepopulates our “ask” and sends it directly to your House Representative(s) and U.S. Senators. Consider sending on behalf of yourself and your business, and make sure to tell your advocacy story through media releases and social media posts and to tag @NAMM so we can amplify your message.