Wisconsin Advocates for Music Education

An advocacy group of Wisconsin Music Educators Assoication

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Teachers
    • Why Music Education?
    • Basic Advocacy Guidelines for Teachers
    • Practical Guidelines for Music Advocates
    • Involve Parents & Community Members
    • Notable Quotes for Programs, Letters, Public Relations
    • Speaking the Right Language
    • Legislation Interaction Guide
    • Advocacy Links
  • Administrators
    • Why Music Education?
    • Practical Guidelines for Music Advocates
    • Notable Quotes for Programs, Letters, Public Relations
    • Speaking the Right Language
    • Legislation Interaction Guide
    • Advocacy Links
  • Parents & Community
    • Why Music Education?
    • Practical Guidelines for Music Advocates
    • Notable Quotes for Programs, Letters, Public Relations
    • Basic Advocacy Guidelines for Parents
    • Speaking the Right Language
    • Legislation Interaction Guide
    • Advocacy Links
  • Featured Resources

Why Music Education?

Music as an Art Form

“The study of music stimulates the creative mind and is a valuable part of every child’s education. By helping build essential skills, imagination, and self-esteem, music and the arts fuel achievement in all academic areas leading to infinite possibilities for our students as future leaders and innovators.”

  • Wisconsin State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor – 2019 Wisconsin State Music Conference, Madison, WI

Philosophy Statement – Wisconsin Music Educators Association

Music is an integral part of a complete education. Music engages people in objective, subjective, symbolic, and concrete aspects of human experience.

Music education improves learning in other subjects. Quality music education:

  • develops aesthetic awareness and sensitivity;
  • provides a source of enjoyment which enhances the quality of life from early experiences through adulthood.
  • provides a means for creativity and self-expression;
  • provides a sense of history and cultural heritage;
  • provides opportunity for visible success and achievement in the school and community;
  • develops life skills for work and personal success;
  • makes the school and community a more pleasant place to learn, work, and live;
  • increases the satisfaction derived from music throughout life; and
  • increases understanding of other cultures through music.

Guiding Principles from Vision 2020

Reimer, B. 2000. Why do humans value music? In Vision 2020. Reston, VA: MENC.

The five dimensions of musical value:

  1. Music is ends and means. It is valuable in and of itself.
  2. Music encompasses mind, body, and feeling.
  3. Music is universal, cultural and individual.
  4. Music is product and process.
  5. Music is pleasurable and profound.

Guiding Principles from A Report on Arts Education in Wisconsin: The State Superintendent’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Arts Education. 2000. Madison, WI: Wisconsin DPI. Selected points.

  • The arts are central to the development of a well educated person and the core of all learning – connecting and enhancing whole brain development.
  • The arts are intellectually challenging and contribute directly to the cognitive, emotional, physical, and emotional development of all students.
  • Higher order thinking skills – analysis, synthesis, evaluation, critical judgment, including imaginative and creative thinking – are developed in the arts.
  • Students who are often turned off by traditional academic subjects find success in the arts.
  • The arts provide opportunities for success in the creative fields of all of the arts, as well as arts related fields of study.
[custom-facebook-feed]

WMEA

Wisconsin Advocates
for Music Education
is a program of
Wisconsin Music
Educators Association

OUR ADDRESS

WMEA
Wisconsin Center
for Music Education

1005 Quinn Drive
Waunakee, WI
53597

PHONE

608-850-3566
800-589-9762

Business Hours:
M-F 8am-4:30pm

QUICK LINKS

  • WMEA
  • Donate

FACEBOOK – JOIN US

  • WAME
  • WMEA

OUR PARTNERS

  • Wisconsin School Music Association
  • Wisconsin Foundation for School Music

Copyright © 2023 · Wisconsin Music Educators Association - a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.