Online Tools for Music Educators

Here are some links that can augment your understanding of the music industry and help you identify key trends, including: details on student enrollment; demographics and projections relating to educational funding, school construction and teacher population; and key economic indicators that affect the business of music.

Arts Education Informational Resources

– National Education Association
– Americans for the Arts
– The Center for Arts Education
– Katy Independent School District: Importance of Fine Arts Education
– New Jersey Arts Education Partnership

Education Demographic Data

– Proximity One: School district size and demographics
– Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Education at a Glance
– National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): The Condition of Education report

Governmental Resources

The U.S. Government has collected data on a wide variety of relevant topics. Here are several excellent resources:

– Census Bureau
– National Center for Education Statistics
– Department of Education
– U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis
– U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Guidelines

– U.S. Department of Education: U.S. Department of Education Releases Guidance Encouraging Well-Rounded Education
– Video on ESSA from Marcia Neel, Senior Director of Education at Yamaha: A Music Teachers Guide to ESSA

How Congress Votes on Educational Topics

– National Education Association: Education Votes
– Americans for the Arts: Congressional Arts Handbook
– GovTrack

TED Talks

– TED-Ed Lessons Worth Sharing: How playing an instrument benefits your brain – Anita Collins

Podcasts

These are also good listening topics for your students. Look them up on iTunes^® or any other Podcast app service:

– NPR
– Talking up Music Education
– Marching Roundtable
– Marketing Music Education
– TED Radio Hour

Email Lists

We all get too many unnecessary and unwanted emails. Here are four email subscriptions worth having. These are all free and provide current info about arts education:

– Education Week
– Institute of Education Sciences
– Arts Ed Digest
– League of American Orchestras

Twitter Accounts

Twitter is a great way to get up-to-the-minute news about the economy and music education. Here are some good resources:

– @WSJ
– @Bloomberg
– @NYFedResearch
– @NPR
– @planetmoney
– @npr_ed
– @Marketplace
– @TEDRadioHour
– @uscensusbureau
– @MusicParents
– @ArtsEd411
– @Americans4Arts
– @musicforall
– @NAMMFoundation
– Any or all of the state MEA Twitter accounts

Blogs

Finally, here’s a blog where you can explore information about music theory, teaching strategies and careers in music education:

– ThoughtCo: Music Education