IV. Association Programs
The National Anthem Project: Restoring America's Voice
MENC launched The National Anthem Project, a multi-year campaign to "restore America's voice through music education," on March 10, 2005. MENC created The National Anthem Project to re-teach millions of Americans to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" while spotlighting the important role school music programs play in teaching American musical and patriotic traditions. This exciting campaign is supported by some of the country's leading organizations, such as the Jeep(r) brand, the History Channel, Gibson Musical Instruments, NAMM, the International Music Products Association, and Bank of America. Mrs. Laura Bush serves as Honorary Chairperson, and the Oak Ridge Boys are the campaign's Official Musical Ambassadors. Events have included major singing celebrations across the nation at schools, communities, and professional sporting events. A mobile tour of the 50 states began in January 2006, traveling across the country to spotlight the national anthem and music education through October 2006. For more information, visit The National Anthem Project.
National Anthem Day
Every fall, MENC 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.
FAME
The Fund for the Advancement of Music Education (FAME) is an MENC-administered program that seeks to improve and expand music education. The goals of FAME are to increase the public's perception of the importance of music education and to promote public support for music education at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as to take music education beyond the parameters of the teaching profession to the world in which most Americans learn and make music. Donations to FAME are tax-deductible. More Information.
General donations are welcomed, but a special way to support music education through FAME is to donate an inscribed brick for the MENC Walk of FAME outside our headquarters in Reston, Virginia. Donating a brick is an opportunity to honor a mentor, memorialize a loved one, commemorate an occasion or event, or simply make public and permanent your own support for music education. More Information.
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 MENC 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
MENC 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 MENC is a 501(c)(3) organization, all charitable donations are tax-deductible. For bequests, the amount donated is subtracted from the total, pretax value of your estate. This reduces your federal estate tax and puts you in control of deciding how to distribute your hard-earned assets.
MusicFriends
MusicFriends is an MENC program created for parents, community members, and other supporters of music education. Through MusicFriends, MENC distributes information and resources to help members support school music programs at the local, state, and national level. Membership benefits include an electronic newsletter and a car window decal. There is no fee for membership, though donations to MENC's Fund for the Advancement of Music Education are gratefully accepted. These donations help fund important initiatives to promote and preserve music education in our nation's schools.
SupportMusic.com
MENC 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.
MENC Collegiate Membership
MENC Collegiate membership affords future music educators an opportunity for professional orientation and development while they are still in school. Collegiate members enjoy the same MENC 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.
Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®)
To raise public awareness of the importance of music education, MENC 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 MENC to display in the classroom, share with friends, and give to members of the community.
MENC 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, lesson plans, and activities for the WLC, is made accessible on the MENC Web site each year. More Information.
Publications Program
MENC's growing publications program features more than 100 book titles covering a wide range of topics in music education, including the National Standards for Arts Education and related resources. MENC books are available through Rowman & Littlefield Education. (Other resources such as videos, DVDs, and CD-ROMs are available directly from MENC.)Members receive a 25% discount on all MENC-published resources.
MENC seeks authors interested in publishing through MENC and RLE. Visit the Publication Guidelines for more information.
Tri-M® Music Honor Society
The Tri-M Music Honor Society is an MENC 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 newsletters, Web site, specialty items, meetings at select MENC national and regional events, and automatic membership in the Junior ASCAP Membership program (J.A.M.).
U.S. Army All-American Marching Band
In cooperation with Sportslink, Drum Corps International, and American Musical Salute, MENC offers "All-American" status to 97 of the best marching musicians in the nation. Each selected student receives national media recognition and an all-expenses-paid trip to perform at the nationally-televised U.S. Army All-American Bowl. More Information
All-American Nominee - Marching Band
High School All-American Nominees are high school juniors nominated by their music teacher in recognition for their exceptional musicianship, marching achievement, character, and leadership. Students nominated by an MENC member receive an official High School All-American Nominee achievement certificate from MENC and listing on an MENC All-American Nominee Web site as well as mention in other MENC media. All-American Nominees are encouraged to audition for All-American selection in their senior year. More Information
NMAC
National Music Adjudication Coalition -- Music Adjudication Seminars and Resources.
MENC, NFHS: The National Federation of State High School Associations and the Walt Disney World Performing Arts Programs combine efforts to offer education and resources to improve the assessment and adjudication of musical performance groups. A three-day seminar has been developed for attendees to work under the guidance of world class music adjudicators to learn adjudication essentials, observe an adjudication panel in action, learn the effective use of adjudication forms, observe live onstage clinics, listen to judges as they tape group comments, and take part in group discussions with Festival judges. More Information
Advocacy Webinars
MENC 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
MENC 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