RIMEA Music Advocacy


What's going on with Music Education in Rhode Island?


Several communities in Rhode Island have made or are now making drastic cuts to public school music programs. The sad truth is that Music Education is frequently the first place many schools systems look to cut costs. Often, a majority of students from the hardest-hit of these communities fall near or below the poverty line, and their only chance for musical instruction and exposure to the arts lies in public education.

Ironically, the federal No Child Left Behind Act lists "the Arts" as a "CORE ACADEMIC" subject area, part of the basic education of every child. More so, there are new fine arts graduation requirements being implemented, which require students demonstrate a basic proficiency in one of the fine arts.

How does this affect me?


If you live in any of these communities, or your children attend school in these communities , this affects you directly. Your children may no longer have an opportunity to study music, to learn instruments, to sing in choirs. As a resident, cutting the arts has a tremendously negative effect on our schools. The long term results would be lower property values, discouraging people from residing in said communities.

Why is music education so important?


Music is a part of a basic, well-rounded education, particularly in a urban setting such as Providence. To rob our children of an arts education, something that will so deeply impact the adults that they will grow-up to be... that should be the last place that we should look to cut costs.

What can I do?


Sign up for NAfME Advocacy Groundswell! The purpose of the NAfME Advocacy Groundswell is to cultivate an online community of NAfME members from across the country interested in participating in advocacy initiatives, engaging in discussions about advocacy and regularly digesting advocacy news.

You can also help by simply taking a few minutes to write a letter, compose an e-mail, or make a phone call. Apathy has become the standard... a local politician once said that seven letters on an issue is a big turnout. Everyone else assumes that someone else will take care of it!


Music Support Sites

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Music Quick Fact

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A two-year Swiss study involving 1,200 children in 50 schools showed that students involved in the music program were better at languages, learned to read more easily, showed an improved social climate, showed more enjoyment in school, and had a lower level of stress than non-music students.
-Weber, E.W., Spychiger, M. & Patry, J.L. (1993)

Sample Message

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Feel free to copy and paste the letter below into an e-mail... modify it as you see fit. More sample letters to government officials and suggestions on how to write them.

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