The following is a bulletin from MENC's Facebook Cause, Advance Music Education. Join the network of over 170,000 who support music education
through Facebook Causes.

Music! Just Imagine…

We are constantly making our case as to why music deserves a place in the core curriculum. Sometimes it’s difficult to find new ways to express why music education is so important. Your voices really help us to do that. Experts say we need to share stories to connect people and gain their support. Our story is your story and the stories of the millions of kids who participate in music classes everyday.

This month we are featuring student essays that tell their stories around our MIOSM theme, Music! Just Imagine. Each week we will introduce you to these students through their stories. These have themes about music education that ring true for us:

Britney Blevins

Connection. Britney's essay evokes the wonder of music as a natural element we all experience. She interprets the sounds of living creatures and the environment they live in as forms of music. What a cool, comforting, and healthy idea to hear in the words of a young mind.

Joy Garrett

Identity. Joy's essay speaks of music as an expression of personal exploration. We all are in need of tools to discover who we are. To hear such fundamental understanding of and striving for the components of development in a youngster—that’s an affirmation of life through music.

MENC has many resources to help you tell your story and advocate for music programs on the local, state, and national level. You can these at MENC Advocacy Central and Support Music.com.

Every time we share a story about the power of music in our lives, we are being advocates. The more people with whom we share stories, the stronger our message becomes. Cause members do this by asking friends to join, and posting their stories on the Cause wall, asking friends to donate in honor of a birthday, and by making a donation themselves. So, in honor of MIOSM, invite 10 friends to join our cause.

During MIOSM – Music In Our Schools Month (March)—we will recognize our top Cause Recruiters, Top Donors, and Top Fundraisers. This week we thank:

• Recruiter – Jo-Michael Scheibe
• Donor – Devon Daines
• Fundraiser – Gabby Parsons
   

Each of our “Top” Cause people will receive an MIOSM t-shirt and an MIOSM kit! You could be recognized, too—spread the word, tell your story, help Save School Music!

Happy MIOSM!

The MENC Team, March 5, 2010

Follow us on Twitter (@MENC and @Advance_MusicEd), too!