Music Advocacy

RMF’s limited staff includes a Music Education Advisor, allowing us to have a constant proactive role with our music advocacy efforts. With this position RMF has been able to track the number of student musicians, music educators, music opportunities, retention levels, and program participation in our area public school music programs. We want our teachers, students, families, and communities to consider RMF as their go-to resource for help in areas of advocacy and supportive data. Thanks to these efforts, Berks County is the only county in the state of Pennsylvania who is collecting music-centered education data. This puts our arts advocates at a significant advantage, as well as substantiates the investments made by RMF into area music programs.

About Mike Buterbaugh, RMF’s Music Education Advisor

Mike, a retired music educator from Schuylkill Valley School District, has served as RMF’s Education Advisor since 2015. In addition to his data collection efforts, Mike also serves as the liaison between school districts and RMF, connecting teachers, administrators, students, parents, and volunteers for many music-related concerns and questions. He also coordinates an annual in-service day for music educators with Berks County Intermediate Unit, and serves as a professional resource to area music educators.

The Reading Musical Foundation strongly supports music in the schools, by the schools, and through certified music teachers employed directly by the schools to ensure equal access for all students to quality music instruction and ensembles.

Decades of national research has proven the positive effect music has on a student’s academic, social, emotional, and physical health. RMF uses our platform to reinforce this, as well as highlight the skills obtained through music and their translation to 21^st Century Skills like creativity, communication, and collaboration.

Explore videos by RMF that share testimonials of the impact of music. (available through RMF YouTube Channel)

For further information, RMF recommends these resources for parents, students, and music advocates:

American Psychological Association
Music students score better in math, science, English than nonmusical peers (apa.org)
Music Students Score Better in Math, Science, English Than Nonmusical Peers

Doing Well and Doing Good by Doing Art: The Effects of Education in the Visual and Performing Arts on the Achievements and Values of Young Adults
Doing Well and Doing Good by Doing Art: The Effects of Education in the Visual and Performing Arts on the Achievements and Values of Young Adults | Americans for the Arts
The impacts of intensive involvement in the visual and performing arts during secondary school on young adults are shown to include doing better and going further in college (doing well) and greater involvement in community service and pro-social activities (doing good).

Give a Note Foundation
Research Findings on the Status of Music Education in U.S. Public Schools – Give A Note Foundation
The Foundation interviewed music educators and supervisors across the United States, and distributed a survey to a sample of schools with music education programs to gain knowledge about music education in public schools. Overall, the survey and the interviews with music educators and supervisors from across the nation largely replicate previous studies on the status of music education in the nation’s schools, while also providing more detailed context for the work music educators do every day.

NAMM Foundation
Why Music Matters | NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation celebrates and promotes the intrinsic value of music education.

NAfME (National Association for Music Education)
Advocacy – NAfME
The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) advocates at the federal, state, and local levels to educate elected officials and other key decision makers about the impact and importance of music education programs. Representing music educators, students, and advocates, NAfME is dedicated to ensuring the access, presence, and perseverance of quality music programs operated by certified music educators, for all students across the nation, regardless of circumstance. Through active advocacy and collaboration, we are changing the national conversation about music’s role in delivering an outstanding well-rounded education to all students.

PMEA Take Note Podcast
Take Note Podcast – Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (pmea.net)
PMEA’s Take Note Podcast is a look into notable names in music education, stories from across Pennsylvania, and news you can use.

PMEA Advocacy & Pubic Policy
Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (pmea.net)
This page will provide you with all of the latest news and action items related to public policy.

Save the Music Foundation
Why Music Is Important for Child Development – Save The Music Foundation
Save the Music Foundation addresses the importance of public school music education programs because they believe music should be part of every young student’s well-rounded education.

US Department of Education – National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) – Publications & Products
Curated list of arts-education related statistics

Yamaha
Status of Music Education in Public Schools – Yamaha Music
Music Education Resources available through the Yamaha Network