Virtually everything we do as music educators involves advocacy, either indirectly or not.
Two successful advocates discuss how advocacy can strengthen your program or save an endangered one. Music benefits your students, yet many teachers don’t know how to to maximize the programs potential.
One way to do this is through an impact statement which is a must for every music program. Come away from the session with multiple strategies to strengthen, promote or save your program.
Mary Wagner
- Biographical Information
Mary Wagner taught string orchestra in the Fairfax County Public Schools for 39 years where she taught elementary, middle and high school students. Her orchestras consistently received Superior ratings. While working full-time, she mentored new string orchestra teachers and participated as a member of the curriculum writing team. Wagner served as President of the American String Teachers Association from 2006-08, chaired their Advocacy committee, served as the Articles Editor of the American String Teacher and chaired nine conferences. She was a contributing member of the ASTA national curriculum team writing The ASTA String Curriculum published by Alfred Music. In addition to the ASTA book, she worked on the Virginia Standards of Leaning, standards for VMEA and on the latest edition of the NAfME standards. For the past twelve years, she has worked as a University Supervisor for James Madison University supervising music student teachers in Northern Virginia. Wagner served as a consultant for the FJH method book, New Directions, Bk.1, has articles published in AST, and has presented clinics at ASTA and VMEA conferences. Wagner has adjudicated for VBODA festivals. She also chaired the very active Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education. Her work with advocacy is well-known and she has worked to save programs in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Michigan. A cellist, Mary lives in Fairfax with her two long-haired dachshunds.
Jenna Day, owns Day Violins LLC, with her husband, Jason Day.
She became interested in Music Education Advocacy when the Fairfax County Budget was in jeopardy when two of her children were young. Since then, she has become involved in Advocacy in any way she can.
Jenna currently serves as the president for the Oakton HS Orchestra Boosters, Parent Liaison for FACE (Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education), on the Arts Advisory Board for The Academy at George Mason, Co-Chair for the Mason Academy Parents Group (MAP) and The Arts Advisory Board for Arts at Mason at George Mason University. She also serves on the Board for DC Strings United, bringing concerts and music to underprivileged neighborhoods in the Washington, DC area.
Jenna is also heavily involved with advocacy in Washington DC, meeting with elected officials to encourage funding for under-privileged school children and participating in the NAMM Fly-in for the past five years.
She was recently asked to adjudicate applications for Music for All’s Advocacy in Action Awards and also the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
She and her husband were recently honored with a prestigious award, the C. Sidney Berg Award, from the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association in Appreciation for their Dedication and Service to the Advancement of Instrumental Music. They have also won the Virginia ASTA Distinguished Service Award for business two years in a row.