It's [begin strikethrough]none of[end strikethrough] all your business: got milk? Got music!

It's [begin strikethrough]none of[end strikethrough] all your business: got milk? Got music! What can we learn from milk? By 1950, the U.S. government, schoolsand doctors were promoting milk as an important nutritious drink forchildren. Remember those miniature red milk cartons we received assnacks in elementary school? Milk had an important role as one of thefour food groups and was a family staple. But then came Pepsi and its1960s campaigns associating its soda with youth, rebellion andindividuality. Next came Gatorade ("Be Like Mike"), MountainDew ("Do the Dew"), and Sprite ("Obey Your Thirst").By 1990, the milk industry was in a long-term sales decline. Sound familiar? In the 1950s, it was common for family homes tohave a piano and every child to receive piano instruction. Then cameorganized youth soccer, electronic games, keyboards and computergadgets--all competing for children's after-school time. Sales ofacoustic pianos entered a long-term decline. In 1993, milk processors in California agreed to allocate 3 centsof each gallon sold to fund marketing efforts to promote milkconsumption, creating a $23 million marketing budget. Instead offollowing the historic strategy of emphasizing nutrition, their adagency used a "deprivation" strategy, reminding viewers of thedisappointment of not having milk available at crucial moments--one adfeatured a history buff who fails to win a prize on a call-in radio showbecause his mouth was full of peanut butter sandwich...with no milk towash it down. The tagline "got milk?" became part of ourvernacular. In 1994, California milk sales increased for the first timein more than a decade. Soon, a second strategy was launched, with thegoal of re-making milk's image as "cool." The milkmustache campaign was born, showing well-known personalities with milkmustaches. That campaign is still going strong today and even has itsown website (www.gotmilk.com)! Milk or music, advocacy is a part of business. Formal or informal,being an advocate for our profession and its products is simply goodbusiness. A rising tide raises all ships. Our MTNA dues support nationaladvocacy efforts. MTNA is a national co-sponsor for Arts Advocacy Day.MTNA partners with SupportMusic.com and its national advocacy efforts.MTNA is also part of the Arts Action Fund of the Americans for the Arts(www.artsactionfund.org). Gary Ingle, CEO and executive director ofMTNA, keeps a high profile for our association through his involvementin related organizations. He currently is on the executive board of theInternational Music Council (www.musiccouncil.org/) and president of theNational Music Council (www.imc-cim.org/). Advocacy Begins At Home Advocacy begins with awareness. Where milk was once viewed as astaple nutrition drink for children, it's now a cool alternative tosoda, available in various flavors and touted as a companion to otherproducts (notice how many Oreo commercials include milk?). While our profession doesn't have a multi-million dollarbudget for advertising, we can still create a "got milk?"level of awareness in our local community. If we don't advocate for music education, who will? At thelocal level, each one of us can educate every parent, neighbor, schoolboard member, and legislator about the value of music education and ourprofession. There are multiple viewpoints that one can use to advocatefor the arts, including: * economic impact of the arts industry * arts education and cognitive development * arts education skills that prepare students for the 21st-centuryworkplace * the milk industry's "deprivation" argument--whatwould the quality of our life be without music? Documenting these viewpoints is easier than ever. Americans for theArts has an extensive website with advocacy resources, includingdownloadable one-page research summaries on various topics, includingthose listed above (www.americansforthearts.org/get_invoIved/advocacy/advocacy_004.asp). The NAMM Foundation (SupportMusic.com)has a free downloadable Community Action Kit that includes brochures,posters, fliers, PowerPoint presentations and PSAs. MENC's websiteincludes an advocacy section; a unique offering is the "Make YourCase" searchable database of anecdotes, facts, quotes, research andstatistics on music education (www.menc.org/resources/view/advocacy-and-publicpolicy-quick-resources). These websites also have templates for legislator letters, schoolboard presentations, concert remarks and more. Communicating these ideasneed not be cost-prohibitive or time-consuming. Here are some strategiesthat a local association or independent studio might utilize: * brochures in studio waiting area or common area at the mall * posters on studio bulletin board or public boards in thecommunity * research excerpts or quotes on the back of recital programs * articles in studio newsletter and website * op ed article in local newspaper * public service announcement on a local radio show * brief remarks at recitals, competitions and other local events Advocacy Is Good Business Part of the milk industry's success has been keeping theirmessage in front of the public on a regular and consistent basis.Advocating for our profession is simply good business. When advocatingfor the profession, one is also advocating for his/her studio. Keeping your business name and identity in the public view conveysthat music education is an active profession. We appear (and are!)vital, contributing members of the community. A colleague has a sign onher car that simply says "Piano Lessons" and a phone number. Ayard sign (where allowable) is another approach. Membership in theChamber of Commerce keeps you active in the local business community.Your studio could sponsor a local food drive or health walk.Announcements in the local paper about recitals and student awards keepour profession in the public eye. An active profession is one that looks active, is known in itscommunity, and can articulate and communicate its value. On a dailybasis, make it a part of your business to support, promote and encouragehigh quality music education in your community. This is what I call"everyday advocacy." It is essential in shaping publicperception and awareness, which in turn benefits every studio, teacherand student. With looming budget cuts, everyday advocacy has never beenmore important. The milk industry has figured this out. It makes business sensethat we do so too. Got music! By Karen Thickstun, NCTM Karen Thickstun, NCTM, is coordinator of piano pedagogy at ButlerUniversity and director of the Butler Community Arts School andmaintains an independent studio in Nashville, Indiana. In addition tomusic degrees, she has degrees in economics and business.