“NAfME has supported music educators at all teaching levels for more than a century,” noted Peter Doherty, Director of Constituencies and Organizational Development. “Since 1907, NAfME has worked to create an environment in which access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction can be made available to all students.”
To help meet this goal, NAfME has opened its doors to private instructors, music program advocates, and others in our community who provide supplemental support to school-based music educators in the U.S. and around the world.
In neighborhoods all across America, those eligible for Associate membership have become important partners in delivering a first-class music education experience. Innovative ideas often come from this vibrant community of music education supporters, and NAfME wishes to build a relationship with anyone who can assist our school-based educator members in developing music programs that engage students and help them to reach their highest potential.
NAfME encourages current members to share this new opportunity with their pool of approved private teachers, part-time instructors, program assistants, and their local Music Booster organizations.
“We have decided to offer membership to Associates at a very reasonable rate,” says Doherty. “Among the many benefits of membership, there is also an opportunity for these new members to work with us on a variety of advocacy initiatives, such as our award-winning broader minded™ music advocacy campaign, and advocating for the addition of music program-friendly language into any pending reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).”
In addition, the movement toward acceptance of the new voluntary National Standards for Music Education will change how music instruction is delivered to students in the future. NAfME wishes to have new Associate members equipped to offer cutting-edge assistance to school-based music teachers. And by offering Associate members a seat at the table at this time, they can be up-to-date on national efforts to introduce music standards-based instruction into local schools.
Note that state association benefits are not offered to Associate members at this time. A full list of benefits available to Associate members is available at http://www.nafme.org/membership/associate.
