North Carolina Music Educator Summer 2023

Advocacy is Like
Music
by Nate McGaha, executive director, Arts NC
There are a host of similarities between music and advocacy,
not the least of which being that both tap into something
essential inside us, leaving us more fulfilled. Simply put,
advocacy is communication in support of a person, cause, or idea.
While it is often used to describe engagement with government
officials, it applies to any situation in which a group or an
individual speaks up for themselves, others, or an idea in which
they believe.
So many think that they can’t, until they try.
I imagine that thousands of music and other
arts educators each year convince a student to
try an instrument, or some other medium, even
though they doubt they could ever master it. I
also have no doubt that most of those students
find themselves in awe of their own progress
several months later, and some spend a lifetime
honing the craft. Advocacy is the same, with so
many scared to try talking to elected officials, or
others in authority. But those who try, get better.
Those who prepare excel even more. And those
who commit to the task can achieve something
astounding, just like musicians.
Know the score, the instruments, and the
players.
Regardless of your purpose, you need to be
sure you understand what you are advocating
for, to whom you are advocating, and why, before you begin to
make your case. You need to know who makes the decision you
want to influence, then be sure to understand the structure of the
system in which they operate. If you do not learn how to read
music before you learn to play an instrument, you may be able to
make music, but you’ll find it hard to communicate with other
musicians and even harder to work in harmony. Also, the more you
know about the decision maker, the more effective you can be, just
as understanding other musicians, composers, or conductors one
works with will develop a more refined performance.
Humanity set to rhythm transcends.
Advocacy is the
same, with so
many scared to try
talking to elected
officials, or others
in authority. But
those who try,
get better... And
those who commit
to the task can
achieve something
astounding, just
like musicians.
Music, in a way, is human emotion set within a melodic
structure of tone and timing to connect with other humans on a
deeper level. Good advocacy is no different. Decision makers are
human, so when making a case, it is best to share a story or fact
that connects to that person on an emotional level to connect them
more deeply to your cause. However, an advocate must appeal to
one’s logic and reasoning as well, to put the narrative into context
and solidify one’s case. For example, you
can tell a moving story about a child from a
low-income family whose life was changed
by being in chorus to illustrate the value of
arts in schools. However, if you then say that
students from the poorest 25% of households
are five times less likely to drop out of school
and twice as like to obtain a college degree,
then you have not only made your case, but
your “performance” has transcended what the
story, or the data, could have accomplished
separately.
Different arrangements for different
engagements.
A soloist singing a cappella is very different
than a chorus. A violin solo and a symphony
are not the same at all. There is no one way
to make music, just as there is no one way
to advocate. Sometimes a single advocate
making a case to a lone decision maker is all
that is required. Other times the situation may call for coordinated
communications across large groups of advocates and multiple
decision makers, incorporating not only conversation but
coordinated messaging and public awareness campaigns. Good
advocacy allows the method to fit the moment, just as the right
arrangement of a composition underscoring a certain moment of
a movie can elevate a scene beyond the sum of its parts to become
something that speaks to us all on a new level. Both in music, as in
advocacy, this takes thoughtful planning and practice, and possibly
collaboration, but in the end the results are undeniable. And just
as a singer with a guitar can prepare and perform alone, while a
marching band needs a leader to coordinate elements, advocacy
leadership is dependent upon each situation. You can prepare and
present the case for a salary increase to your boss as a soloist, but
advocating for raises for all educators would require a chorus of
advocates with a good director and a plan to make sure everyone
performs in harmony.
Practice, practice, practice.
The more you do anything, the easier it becomes and the better
you are at doing it. A good musician never misses an opportunity
to practice or perform, constantly evaluating to hone the craft and
perfect the delivery. Advocacy is no different. There are countless
opportunities in any given day to discuss the things we care about,
and the more we speak up for whatever cause that may be, the
easier it becomes, the better we become, and the more comfortable
we can become with any given audience.
You can feel it when it is right.
So many people choose not to speak up for things that they feel
are important. They assume someone else will do it and are likely
to do it better. But if we all thought that way, nothing would ever
happen. The thing that is so hard to explain about both music and
advocacy to someone who has never tried, is just how good it feels
once you start, how incredible it feels when you find your groove,
and invigorating it feels when you can tell you have truly reached
someone. Taking the time to learn an instrument can change the
trajectory of an entire life. Taking the time to speak up for what is
important, like arts education in your community, can change the
course of countless young lives.
What is Arts North Carolina?
We are a nonprofit organization that works to advance public
funding and policy that supports the arts and comprehensive arts
education. To connect North Carolina arts advocates with their
local, state, and federal elected officials, we provide resources and
training for the entire state, and host our annual conference and
advocacy event, ARTS Day, in Raleigh each year. We also help
nonprofits and others learn how they can engage with candidates
in elections, and with already elected officials. We also engage
a professional lobbying firm to support our message at the NC
General Assembly and our staff works year-round to provide our
constituents with information and analysis of both state and federal
funding and legislation. You can find out more about our work at
ArtsNC.org.
Arts NC’s most significant recent arts education
accomplishment was the passage of the NC Arts Education High
School Graduation requirement. In 2023, we are working on
legislation to create an Arts Proficiency High School Diploma
Endorsement and a bill that would require every K – 5 public
school student to have access to both visual art and music
instruction by a licensed visual art/music educator once every five
instructional days. Both these bills would mean more students in
more arts classes and more educators needed to teach them.
Arts NC is also a proud member of the NC Arts Education
Leadership Coalition (AELC), along with NC Music Educators
Association and eight other music and arts educator professional
organizations. We collaborate on advocacy efforts and discuss
arts education policy moderated by our partners at the NC
Department of Public Instruction. Arts NC also hosts the website
ArtsEdNC.org which is the home of the NC AELC and is packed
with information, training, and resources such as the Arts
Education Data Project. Through this collaboration we can more
effectively advance arts education at both the state and local level.
Have your local school board pass an Arts ARE Education
Resolution.
So, what can you do locally to support arts education? One of
the easiest and most effective ways is to work with your district
leadership and superintendent to have your local school board pass
an Arts ARE Education Resolution, which is part of a national arts
education advocacy movement. Arts NC partnered with NCMEA
to create an easy-to-use step-by-step toolkit to show you how.
You can even include a student performance at the school
board meeting when it is voted on to help mark the occasion. The
text of the resolution states that your school system will maintain
and grow arts education programs in the current school year and
beyond. And while it does not bind them legally to do so, it is a
good thing for them to think about. Especially if you have them
pass it for Arts in Our Schools Month in March, right before they
begin work on the following year’s budget.
Advocacy and music are not all that different. Whether it is
done solo or in collaboration with others, it has the potential to
enrich the soul and change the world. But you can’t make music, or
a difference, if you do not step up and get started.
Opposite page: Past Southern Division president Sonja McLean Williams, NAFME state advocacy engagement manager Jazzmone Sutton, NCMEA executive
director Susan Heiserman, NCMEA president Johnathan Hamiel, Rep. Deborah Ross, NAFME NEB equity representative Dr. Lenora Helm Hammonds,
NAFME Southern Division president James Daugherty, NCMEA collegiate president Sabina Blue
Above, left: Rep. Virginia Fox’s legislative assistant R.J. Martin, James Daugherty, and Dr. Lenora Helm Hammonds.
Above, right: Johnathan Hamiel discussing the importance of Title 1 funding in Music Education to Rep. Virginia Fox’s legislative assistant R.J. Martin.
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