IV. Association Programs

U.S. Army All-American Marching Band

In cooperation with the United States Army, All American Games, and Drum Corps International, NAfME offers the U.S Army All-American Marching Band. 124 of the nation’s top marching musicians and students are selected to march at the halftime performance of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. Students receive an all-expenses-paid trip to San Antonio, in addition to national media recognition, and a selection presentation at their school by the U.S Army and All American Gams. To be eligible, students must be a high school senior, member in good standing of their school, and member of their school’s marching band from the time of application through the bowl-week performance. In the fall, high school juniors who demonstrate outstanding musicianship, character, and academic achievement can be nominated by their band teacher for the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band. All nominees of NAfME members will receive a certificate of nomination, listing on the NAfME All-American web site, and mention in other NAfME media. Nominees can choose to audition to become a member of the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band. Nominees receive audition and application materials to help them audition in the spring.
More Information.

Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®)

To raise public awareness of the importance of music education, NAfME sponsors Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM), a public outreach program designed to support school music programs. The month of March is officially designated MIOSM in your community and across the nation. It's a time of year when music education programs are featured in schools everywhere, and students, parents, teachers, administrators, and members of the community are made more aware of the importance of music education for all students. More Information.

To help spread the word about MIOSM, awareness items such as banners, T-shirts, buttons, lapel stickers, and other fun advocacy materials are made available by NAfME to display in the classroom, share with friends, and give to members of the community.

NAfME also sponsors the World's Largest Concert® (WLC®), a sing-along event in March that features performances from students around the country. The WLC is a great opportunity to raise community awareness of the importance of school music programs. To assist teachers in preparing their students to participate, a Teacher's Guide, with reproducible student music and piano accompaniments and lesson plans is made accessible on the NAfME website each year. More Information.

National Anthem Day

Every fall, NAfME encourages teachers to celebrate “National Anthem Day” on September 14, the anniversary of the penning of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” by organizing school-wide sings of the national anthem at 9 a.m. Eastern time. These events raise awareness of school music programs within the community and local media. More Information.

Give A Note

Lowell Mason Fellows

The Lowell Mason Fellow distinction is an important honor designed for music educators, music education advocates, political leaders, industry professionals, and others who have contributed to music education in their unique way. Fellow designations also provide an opportunity to support the efforts of NAfME through the donation made in the honoree's name. This donation goes to MENC's Fund for the Advancement of Music Education to support future generations of music educators through the organization's programs. Individuals or groups (corporations, universities, foundations, student organizations, etc.) may fund designations.

Planned Giving Programs

NAfME is grateful for the many generous donations our members make in support of music education. A significant contribution can be made to future generations with a gift to MENC. The simple act of a bequest not only will help provide tomorrow's children with the challenge, excitement, and rewards of music; it also gives you a substantial tax benefit. Because NAfME is a 501(c)(3) organization, all charitable donations are tax-deductible.

Corporate Membership

Available to companies and organizations that provide music education products or services. Member benefits include free advertising space; discounts on member lists and exhibit space; the use of NAfME’s logo; Web site links; listings on NAfME’s Web site and in NAfME electronic newsletter and Teaching Music; and more.

SupportMusic.com

NAfME has partnered with NAMM, the International Music Products Association, to develop SupportMusic.com. SupportMusic.com is an online music education advocacy tool that provides key resources to help music educators with a wide array of issues such as budget cuts, lack of administration support, emphasis on athletics over music, large class sizes, and many more. Links from each topic go to issue-specific facts that can help save, start, or improve school music programs.

"Make Your Case" Advocacy Resource

NAfME and NAMM have teamed up to re-launch “Make Your Case,” a database of facts, figures, and resources to help NAfME members and other music advocates make the case for music in school. The database, found at www.supportmusic.com and www.menc.org, has been updated and upgraded with current and extensive music education advocacy materials.
Advocates can search for facts, statistics, research, and anecdotes on specific topics such as budgets, scheduling, curricular needs, testing, staffing, and much more. (Topics were chosen from a survey of NAfME members and SupportMusic affiliates.) The results can be used for presentations, speeches, and other communications with school board members, administrators, and legislators.

MENC Collegiate Membership

NAfME Collegiate membership affords future music educators an opportunity for professional orientation and development while they are still in school. Collegiate members enjoy the same NAfME member benefits as in-service members, with the exception of voting rights; and membership includes a recognition program designed specifically to acknowledge Collegiate chapters and their members for exemplary chapter activities and member achievements. More Information.

Publications Program: Books and Journals

NAfME has published more than 100 book titles over the years, and continues to publish works that help fulfill NAfME’s mission and strategic plan goals. 
Books cover a wide range of topics (national standards, curriculum and assessment, special needs, multicultural music, band, chorus, orchestra, general music, jazz, early childhood, history, philosophy and symposium proceedings). 
For a complete catalogue and to order, visit Rowman and Littlefield and click on Co-publishers. NAfME members receive from RLE a 25% discount on all NAfME published resources.  
Authors interested in publishing through NAfME and RLE can visit the publications guidelines on the NAfME site.  
See some of the newest books on the MENC Book page. 
NAfME also offers to members six journals. Please refer to the Member Features section of this site for details about the journals, or to the Periodicals page.

Tri-M® Music Honor Society

The Tri-M Music Honor Society is an NAfME program that recognizes outstanding music students in secondary level schools (grades 6 through 12). Tri-M activities increase students' school and community involvement with music.

Tri-M members are selected based on their academic and musical achievement as well as on their strength of character. Chapters invite qualified students from any organized music ensemble or class in their school to join this international music honor society. Chapter members regularly organize and participate in community-service activities and music-enrichment events as well as nurture a more cohesive, broad, and unified music program. Rewards for this activity include scholarships and Tri-M program awards.

Benefits of Tri-M membership include exclusive Tri-M membership materials, scholarships, individual and chapter achievement recognitions, biannual print newsletters, monthly e-newsletters, Web site, specialty items, meetings at select regional events, and automatic membership in the Junior ASCAP Membership program (J.A.M.).

All-National Honor Ensembles

NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles rehearse and perform annually during NAfME's Music Education Week in June. These ensembles are in answer to NAfME member requests for the ultimate step of national student recognition beyond state and division levels.
Full information, audition music and applications are available online.

Advocacy Webinars

NAfME offers members access to free Webinars on music education advocacy. Webinars feature advocacy experts from music and other education areas and focus on building coalitions, grassroots campaigns, and working with the media, among other topics. Members access the archived webinars at their convenience. More Information

Public Awareness Programs

NAfME has conducted several public awareness campaigns on the importance of music education in school. These include an award-winning radio public service announcement series, Why Music?, that features musical celebrities talking about their support for school music. More Information