Music Education Advocate's Toolkit: Strengthening Music in Your Community

The new Einstein Kit is the perfect introduction to the world of advocacy and a great way to get organized and make an effective presentation to your local decision-makers in support of music.

Download the web-based version by clicking on the links below. You can use the powerful collection of sample letters, press releases and research summaries to bolster support for music education in your local area.

The American Music Conference (AMC) is committed to providing materials and tools so that people can become advocates for music education and help to strengthen and support music programs across the country. The 2004 DVD edition of the Einstein Kit includes a printable manual with tips on becoming an activist in your area and a CD-ROM loaded with sample correspondence, sample news releases, useful summaries of the latest scientific research (newly updated), audio files for use on radio, and an entire Microsoft PowerPoint® presentation to help you become an effective advocate for music education in your local community.

Now, the DVD also features powerful video presentations on the value of music education—including a welcome from Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, two VH1 News special reports, and public service announcements featuring recording artists Vanessa Carlton, Michael McDonald and Brian McKnight.

Sorry! We're out of toolkits at the moment. Stay tuned - new kits will be available in fall of 2006.

Feel free to download any of the current materials that are featured online.

The Music Education Advocacy Kit contains:

• 1 Music Advocate's Guide
• 1 Advocates Toolkit CD-ROM
• 1 "VH1 News Special Report: The Case For Music Education" Video
• 50 "Learning to Play" brochures

Videos
The updated Music Education Advocate's Toolkit includes informative videos, including the VH1 report highlighted above and a special presentation from music expert Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser. Get a toolkit today to obtain your own copies, or preview them here by clicking the links below:

Guidebook
AMC has prepared a very useful Guidebook to accompany its Toolkit that includes a Quick Start Guide, advice on making a school board presentation, materials for duplication and other valuable information. In addition, the Guidebook contains a section entitled "Advocacy Tips" that expands music education advocacy beyond the realm of the Toolkit and into the local community. Included are strategic and tactical tips for music advocacy as well as a guide to starting local coalitions, written by pioneering advocate Karl Bruhn.

• Guidebook (PDF format)
• Brochure (PDF format)

Correspondence
A well-placed letter is often the best way to kick off an advocacy effort. The sample letters below, offered as Microsoft Word 6.0 files, can help you involve school officials, local organizations and parents in your cause. You can personalize them and modify them to fit your particular community.

• Advocate to Organization
• Brochure to Board
• Dealer to Director
• Director to Group
• Director to Parents
• Request to Board

News Releases
The local media can be an invaluable channel of communication when it comes to advocacy–not to mention a powerful ally. These sample Microsoft Word 6.0 press releases, which you can personalize with your own names and contact phone numbers, will help get your message in the door and on the front page.

• Group Support
• Media Alert
• Presentation
• Research

Research Summaries
The case for music education is being made stronger every day by ongoing scientific research. The summaries in this section provide an easily digestible guide to the most important findings.

• Fractions (PDF)
• Gallup Survey (PDF)
• Math, Science & Language (PDF)
• Med School (PDF)
• Piano (PDF)
• Preschool (PDF)
• Rhythm (PDF)
• SATs (PDF)
• Substance Abuse (PDF)
• Ten Year Study (PDF)
• Underachievers (PDF)
• World (PDF)

Presentations
Here is a presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint format that will help you get your message across to public officials and community groups in your area.

• The Advocate's Plan (PowerPoint)
• The Research Presentation (PowerPoint)

Public Service Announcements
NAMM, Sesame Workshop, MENC-The National Association for Music Education and VH1 Save The Music have produced 30 and 60-second radio public service announcements (PSA’s). Each one features a famous artist (or in some cases, a famous Muppet) relating a strong message about the value of school music.

The PSA’s are an excellent opportunity to "suggest" that your local radio stations consider using the spots as part of their community service responsibilities.