U.S. Senate Resolution Supports Music Education
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed House Concurrent Resolution 121 on May 15th, 2007. The Resolution states that music education grounded in rigorous instruction is an important component of a well-rounded academic curriculum and should be available to every student in every school.
According to NAMM, the trade association fo the international music products association, the Resolution underscores the vital need for all children to receive the many scholastic, social and developmental benefits that are associated with making music. Through its Congressional advocacy activities, NAMM was an integral source for helping to initiate the Resolution that was also unanimously passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.
In each March, the association’s staff, members of its board of directors, Members and advocacy partners visit members of Congress face-to-face to discuss the urgent necessity for music education in schools, and address the decline or absence of music instruction in schools, especially for low-income students. The constituents present research conducted by the NAMM Foundation and the NAMM-sponsored Harris and Gallup Polls, which revealed statistics such as 93 percent of Americans agree that the arts are vital to providing a well-rounded education for children, and that 96 percent of school principals agree that participating in music education encourages and motivates students to stay in school.
Earlier in May, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the U.S. representatives who introduced House Concurrent Resolution 121 to the Senate, sent a letter to David Walker, the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), requesting that the GAO conduct a study on access to music and arts education in the American public school system since passage of the No Child Left Behind Act.
The day after Sens. Dodd and Alexander introduced the Resolution, Chip Averwater, vice chairman of NAMM and chairman of AMRO Music in Memphis, Tenn., wrote a letter to Sen. Alexander in appreciation of his support of music education in Tennessee, and in recognition of the benefits it brings to students. The letter was also signed by 77 AMRO Music employees.
For more information, visit www.namm.org.
Men of Note Repeat at ICHSA
Making history in the International Championship of High School A Cappella, Men of Note from Cherry Hill High School West in Cherry Hill, N.J. won the title of Grand Champions for the second consecutive year. The competition, held April 21st at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, N.Y., featured four high school semifinalists from across the country. Men of Note managed to surpass ensembles from Colorado, Illinois, and Florida to win the title, along with a cash prize of $1,000. Men of Note will record a new CD this spring to commemorate this accomplishment.
Photos of the competition can be seen at the Varsity Vocals Web site, www.varsityvocals.com/icca.
Music for All Network
Music for All, Inc. has announced a new educational program called the “Music for All Network.” The Music for All Network is a growing, grassroots chapter-based network. The network will connect those who have a passion for music, those who want to serve and lead in their schools and communities and act as a force for music and the arts.
Any age group in any school or community organization can start a Music for All chapter, in the Network. The student-driven hubs promote leadership, service and awareness through music to enhance schools and communities. The program encourages anyone who enjoys music to get involved. The vision of the Music for All Network is to create the largest, national network of support for all music.
An interactive, online community will connect members near and far, providing a forum for sharing program templates, best practices and artistic interests. The Network will also offer materials and resources on education, leadership development and music education advocacy.
While the program will officially kick off in the fall of 2007, groups are encouraged to register now. As of February 2007, six high schools from across the country launched pilot chapters of the Music for All Network. For more information about this program, please visit www.musicforall.org.
Sennheiser Celebrates 95th
A pioneer in the field of electroacoustics celebrated his 95th birthday on May 9th. Prof. Dr. Fritz Sennheiser has had a decisive influence on the development of sound transmission technology with his company Sennheiser electronic GmbH Co. KG. It was in June 1945 that Prof. Dr. Fritz Sennheiser founded his “Laboratorium Wennebostel” with a staff of just seven employees #151; but with a great deal of pioneering spirit #151; in an abandoned laboratory of Hanover’s Technical University. Virtually overnight, the developer became a businessman #151; and a very successful one at that. Today, more than 1,650 people work for Sennheiser throughout the world, and the company now has production sites in Germany, Ireland and the USA.
The history of electroacoustics in Europe is inseparably linked with the name Fritz Sennheiser. Born in Berlin, Fritz Sennheiser grew up to experience, and to influence, many epoch-making developments in electroacoustics and transmission technology. Even as a young boy, he had a keen interest in all things technical. “I built my own radio receiver in 1924 from a slide coil and a crystal,” the 95-year-old recalls. His passion for making new discoveries has accompanied Fritz Sennheiser throughout his life. He describes it as his ‘creative restlessness’ “We were always dissatisfied with the ‘state-of-the-art’ and always wanted to create something new, something better. Our main priority was to have fun in developing something. And we certainly had a lot of fun when we discovered something really new. We had so many ideas. While others were busy copying our products, we already had our next inventions up our sleeve.”
The family company’s most important innovations included the shotgun microphone in the 1950s, open-back headphones in the 1960s, infrared transmission technology in the 1970s and the revolutionary developments in multi-channel wireless technology in the early 1980s. In 1982, Fritz Sennheiser handed the management of the company over to his son, Prof. Dr. J
