II. Association Activities

Committees
MENC committees are made up of members who plan and implement projects in specific areas of music education. Committees include:

• Executive Committee
• General Music Today Editorial Committee
• Hall of Fame Board
• Journal of Music Teacher Education Editorial Committee
• Journal of Research in Music Education Editorial Committee
• Music Educators Journal Editorial Committee
• National President Nominating Committee
• Update: Applications of Research in Music Education Editorial Committee

Societies
Within MENC there are subdivisions for specific areas in music education including the Society for General Music, the Society for Research in Music Education, the Society for Music Teacher Education, and the Society for Jazz Education.

Task Forces
MENC task forces are created and maintained for new projects in areas where MENC members see a need for special attention or improvement in the school curriculum. A team of members is responsible for the implementation of the project.

Government Relations/Outreach
With MENC headquarters located just outside Washington, D.C., MENC has the unique opportunity to speak on Capitol Hill and in other national forums on behalf of music educators.

MENC represents more than 142,000 members and supporters and educates legislators by providing information about critical issues that affect music education today. Recent examples of the association's activities in this area include the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Arts in Education funding, and much needed research on music education. MENC publishes the MENC Legislative Memo to keep interested members up-to-date. (Members can subscribe.)

MENC works with other national organizations that have considerable influence over the content and funding of education programs to formulate a strong, solid base of support for music education. A few of the educational organizations with which MENC works on a regular basis include the National School Boards Association (NSBA), the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), and the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). Colleagues in the arts include Americans for the Arts and the League of American Orchestras.

Coalitions for Music Education
MENC has long played a pivotal role in the support and strengthening of school music programs. The National Consortium of Arts Education Associations has been an important part of maintaining communication between teachers of the various art forms. The current SupportMusic.com initiative, sponsored by a coalition led by MENC and NAMM, the International Music Products Association, is another example of a strong effort to lead advocacy for our field.

MENC is also on the steering committee of the Arts Education Partnership and works with ad hoc partnerships including the "Creativity in the Classroom" coalition, which comprises ASCAP, The National Association for Secondary School Principals, the National School Boards Association, the American Bar Association, and the U.S. Register of Copyrights. The association seeks out and forms additional coalitions as the need arises.