NAfME Hill Day 2018

I had the opportunity this last week to be able to attend Hill Day with the National Association for Music Education this past week, and I want to share my experience and what I learned here! I also had the opportunity to see some of the sites in DC, but I wish I had more time. There was so much, and I barely scratched the surface, especially with the Smithsonian Museums. One day I plan to go back.

Being a future music teacher, I realized that I didn't have the skills or knowledge about music education advocacy, so when this opportunity arose for me to be able to travel to DC to learn more about advocacy, I took the chance! And let me tell you, it really paid off.

The first day of the summit was spent getting to know the other people that came. I was a part of the Utah group, but had not previously known any of the other individuals from Utah, so I came to the summit not knowing anyone. I was unsure as to why we needed to spend time getting to know the other collegiates there since I wasn't going to see them again, but I was wrong. I now have more of a support group in Utah where we can work together to promote music education in the state. And I was able to meet people from a variety of states and understand what colleges and music education is like within their states. I was so thrilled to learn a great deal from just conversing with other collegiates.




The second day of the summit took place at the NAfME office building in Virginia.
This was a heavy information, but a day of great value. It started off with leadership training, advocacy training, and then forums in the afternoon.

The leadership training, given by Russ Sperling, focused on four principles:

  1. Culture and Climate
  2. Vision
  3. Planning
  4. Action with Integrity
In it he recommended some different books that have helped him, and provided some great examples of things that he was able to accomplish. He helped me think about what I can to do to be more of a leader for my future students.

"Advocacy is not something that you do, it is something that you are."  Whatever it may be that you are passionate about, don't just advocate for it every once in a while, but always. It is important with music education that you get involved in the community and help the community get involved with you. Know what is going on, attend meetings and local events. As we reach out, the little things that we do can add up and become something great over time. Because if we don't do something, it's not going to change. With advocacy it is important to learn what policies exist in your current state, and how that affects music education. Because data informs advocacy, advocacy informs policy, policy creates change, and change leads to more students involved, which is the end goal. Some states have requirements for a student to take a year or two of language, while some states don't require a music teacher to be a certified teacher, so it is important to know. Whenever you invest your time for advocacy, you must remember that it is better to put the least amount of pressure in a spot that will generate the greatest change. So when going to advocate and actively talking to people, spend the time where it is needed. And remember how to address your specific audience, because that matters. 

Arts Ed Now had 10 tips for getting started in becoming an agent of change.
  1. Know the Landscape
  2. Connect with Others
  3. Identify the Need
  4. Explore the Tools and Resources
  5. Make a Plan
  6. Craft Your Message
  7. Launch the Plan
  8. Refine the Plan
  9. Stay Informed
  10. Celebrate Success

In one of the forums I learned a great deal about working with administration in school. Because, after all, they are the bosses. Changes have to be made through them, and respect must exist from you to them, and from them to you. And when you are striving for change and you are told no, do not blow it off, but ask why. And continue to ask, in a non-threatening way. As we work together with teachers, parents, government, and administration, change can occur. It takes time, but it can happen. 


The third and final day took place on capital hill. The day began with a meeting and an address from New York Congresswoman Velazquez. Then all of the participants broke off into their state groups, and went to meet with the staff of their state senators and congressmen/congresswoman. From Utah, we got to meet with the staff of Senator Hatch, Senator Lee, Congressman Stewart, Congressman Bishop, Congresswoman Love, and Congressman Curtis. Through the course of these meetings I was able to learn while doing. I learned how to be able to talk to politicians to ask for support for what you need. You have to have knowledge of the laws and acts that you want support for, and you need to provide real examples of the benefits of what you are asking for. As collegiates, we were able to provide our stories, and our experiences that we have had, and even the hopes that we have for the future. I now know how to better converse with politicians, and probably even parents in expressing what I desire for the future, and how laws and acts can help change the future. 

I want to share, very briefly, why I am pursuing music education as a career. Growing up, I really enjoyed learning about music. It was something that from the very beginning I hungered to learn more, and accelerated in my knowledge of very quickly. But once I started performing it became so much more for me, it became a way to express myself, when outside of music I could not or didn't know how to. Learning music, performing music, and listening to music has gotten me through some good times, and pulled me through some hard times. Being involved in different groups or shows has saved me from loosing track of myself. Then I learned how much music connects with the world. It connects across all countries, and all aspects of life. With music you learn about science, history, languages, mathematics, and culture. So for me music connects me to myself, and also to people. The people around me, the people across the world, and people across time. I want to help others be able to see music in the same way, and learn about all that music has to offer, because it is great. 

Representing UVU, Utah, and music education, was such a joy for me to do while in DC. I learned a great deal, and I really look forward to implementing all of what I learned at this summit. I am grateful for those that helped me get there. Here's to the future of music education!

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