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Music in Schools Initiative

Associate Dean Michael Yaffe advocates for arts education on Capitol Hill

In May, Associate Dean Michael Yaffe attended the National Association of Music Merchants' Music Education Advocacy D.C. Fly-In. The annual conference is organized to advocate "for the right of every child to learn and grow with music," according to the organization.

"NAMM delegates had over 230 meetings with members of Congress or their staff, in addition to meetings with governors from 19 states," NAMM's public-relations team said. "The group of 100 people from the NAMM Foundation delivered 230 copies of the Declaration (on Equity in Music for City Students) to members of Congress (and/or their staffs)," Yaffe said, referring to the document the School published after the 2017 Symposium on Music in Schools.

During the 2017 Symposium, 43 public-school and university teachers and administrators, foundation leaders, music-education scholars, and public-policy experts discussed ways to "ensure that every child in every city in America has access to an active music life.” Yaffe spoke during the NAMM conference in May "about the Declaration and its role in the School's concept of cultural leadership" and reported there was enthusiasm in Congress "for making the case for arts education."

This month, from June 13 to 15, Yaffe will lead the seventh Symposium on Music in Schools, the goal of which is "to craft a set of principles aimed at creating and improving higher education programs that prepare music educators and teaching artists for work in the 21st century," Yaffe said. As part of the Symposium, the School will present Yale Distinguished Music Educator and Yale Distinguished Teaching Artist awards.

The School of Music's seventh Symposium on Music in Schools will be held June 13-15 at Yale. The biennial event is part of the Music in Schools Initiative