NAfME Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit

Dr. Meghan Merciers, Advisor

Hello, Alabama Music Educators! As you can tell, this article is a little bit different. This quarter, I want to take the time to tell you about an opportunity that my President-Elect and I had this summer that changed my perspective on advocacy and leadership.

In May, Dr. Lyda (AMEA President) contacted Matthew Suit (ALcNAfME President-Elect, Troy University) and me (ALcNAfME President, Sarah Hicks, University of Alabama) about attending the NAfME Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC, in June. Each state was asked to send a few delegates, and

Matthew and I were excited to be the Alabama Delegates. As we got closer to our departure date, Matthew and I both shared some nervousness. We realized that this was the first time that either of us had traveled without our parents and a large school group and that the task of advocating for music education on Capitol Hill was no small feat. We were happy to learn as soon as we arrived that 20 other collegiate delegates from all across the country were just as nervous as we were. Though we knew we would be traveling with our state MEA President and officers to Capitol Hill, we all feared not being qualified to speak on behalf of music educators. Thankfully, this was far from the experience that we actually had.

From the first moment we set foot in the House of Representatives buildings, we were met with smiling faces. I was surprised that so many of the interns and staff members working in the Congressmen’s offices were even from my own school, The University of Alabama. What brought the biggest smile to my face was that when we told any staff member that we were with the National Association for Music Education, they had something positive to say about music. From interns that played in the trombone choir at Auburn to a Chief of Staff who played saxophone in his high school marching band to Congresswoman Sewell, who played the clarinet through all of her schooling, almost every person that we talked to was impacted by music at some point in their lives. It was so inspiring to hear about how much music meant to so many different people, from so many different places, in so many different occupations.

When it was finally time to speak with either our representative or one of their staff members, I shared the story of how music has changed my life. While I was first intimidated by the policies Dr. Lyda explained and the initiatives that Ms. Susan Smith (NAfME Southern Division PresidentElect) shared the importance of, I was asked to explain why I found it so crucial for every child to receive music education. Matthew and I were happy to tell our stories, and we were pleased to hear that they provided insight, human connection, and understanding to the staff members.

On the second day, the collegiates had the opportunity to learn about leadership. One of the speakers said that maturity is understanding how your actions affect others. It was empowering to know that taking time out of my summer to go out of my comfort zone and tell my story could impact students all across America.

Matthew and I wanted to present our experience to you and say this: no one is too young, too old, too busy, or incapable of advocating for something they believe in. You have a powerful voice. If you are brave enough to step outside of your comfort zone and use it, you will make a tremendous impact.

Matthew and I would like to thank Dr. Lyda and the members of AMEA’s Governing Board for making it possible for us to experience the experience empowered us to continue advocating for music education for the rest of our careers.

We hope you will consider attending our ALcNAfME Collegiate Summit on Sunday, October 29, 2023, at Troy University. We will spend the day learning about ways to connect all aspects of music education, and explore newer genres such as Modern Band, to be more inclusive and inviting of all types of music! Stay tuned to our social media outlet on Instagram for announcements of registration and the schedule of professionals we will host on Instagram @cnafme_al. Join our state GroupMe as well, Alabama Collegiates!