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WHY MUSIC? Essays on the importance of music education and advocacy

Advocacy for music education has become a major professional activity that is not always understood by music educators. Education decision makers - boards of education, legislators, government policy makers - must appreciate why music education is important to society so they can make informed decisions about any number of issues that affect music in schools. The principal voice for music education advocacy in the USA is the MENC: The National Association for Music Education, which provides a model for professional advocacy at the national level. Other countries have different models. It will be healthy for music educators to become familiar with models of successful advocacy in other countries.