What is MENC?

MENC is best described by their own Mission Statement:

(Preamble)
Music allows us to celebrate and preserve our cultural heritages, and also to explore the realms of expression, imagination, and creation resulting in new knowledge. Therefore, every individual should be guaranteed the opportunity to learn music and to share in musical experiences.

The mission of MENC: The National Association for Music Education is to advance music education by encouraging the study and making of music by all.

History

MENC was founded in 1907 with 64 members. Today, membership has grown to over 100,000 active music teachers, university faculty/researchers, college students, high school honor society members and MusicFriends. Formerly known as Music Educators National Conference, the association changed its name in 1998 to MENC: The National Association for Music Education to better reflect its mission.

Contributions to the field of Music Education:

• Developed National Standards for Music Education- 1994
• Publication of magazines, books, videos, CDs
• Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM)- held in March
• Established Fund for the Advancement of Music Education (FAME)
• Hershey's All-USA High School Band
• The National Anthem Project: Restoring America's Voice- 2005
• Various public relations activities
• Corporate partnerships with companies such as, Oscar Meyer, BMI, NAMM, VH1: Save the Music
• Maintaining web sites for advocacy and support of music education