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Emily Williams Burch

Advocacy, Collaboration, and . . . moving from survival to vision

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It’s been an interesting start to the semester, yet again, but we are resilient and we keep showing up for choir and our singers. Go us! However, there is always that chance for budget cuts, restrictions, or worse, canceled programs. With decreasing numbers, uncertainty, and pandemic fatigue, how do we move from survival mode to creating a vision and sustainability?

 

According to music educator and advocacy consultant Dr. John Benham, regardless of your situation, there is always a solution and someone to help. His key recommendation and requirement aligns well with our hearts as choral leaders and educators: always keep the student at the center of any discussion.

 

In this month’s Advocacy & Collaboration (A&C) curated episode on the Music (ed) Matters podcast (episode 89), learn about key issues and strategies for building, saving, and restoring music programs. Teaser: you’re going to learn about known cuts, hidden cuts, and all the tips to help navigate the politics that come with keeping music education alive and thriving.

 

Learn more about Dr. Benham at http://www.save-music.org/ or find his book at https://www.giamusic.com/store/resource/music-advocacy-book-g9199.

 

Listen wherever you find your podcasts or watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zpoixZSjFzs.

 

Dr. Emily Williams Burch chairs ACDA’s Advocacy & Collaboration Committee. Dr. Burch has served in various positions for ACDA at the state, regional, and national level in a variety of roles, including co-programming chair and honor choir coordinator for the Southern Region ACDA conferences since 2014. You can subscribe to her podcast for music educators wherever you get your podcasts, or at EmilyBurch.org/podcast.

Advocacy, Collaboration, and . . . Talking to Admins!

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‘Tis the season of making goals and setting plans for the year ahead. Perhaps you have a big event or dream for your choir. Maybe you want to learn something new or start a new hobby. Whatever your goals may be, learning how to communicate that goal is key!

In this month’s Advocacy and Collaboration (A&C) Committee curated podcast on the Music (ed) Matters podcast (episode 85), we explore communication, especially how to approach conversations with administrations or board members.

We all know Administration plays a huge role in our musical successes and situations. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Jay Butterfield, a lifelong musician, performer, educator, and administrator. We define culture, talk about the power of servant leadership and then dive into five fantastic tips for creating a win-win for all parties. Whether you’re dealing with administration, a board, or other governing body, you’ll walk away with techniques to empower and elevate music for all – and hopefully some tips to help you make those new year dreams come true.

Listen wherever you find your podcasts, at EmilyBurch.org/podcasts, or watch them on YouTube.

Dr. Emily Williams Burch chairs ACDA’s Advocacy & Collaboration Committee. Dr. Burch has served in various positions for ACDA at the state, regional, national level in a variety of roles, including co-programming chair and honor choir coordinator for the Southern Region ACDA conferences since 2014. You can subscribe to her podcast for music educators wherever you get your podcasts, or at EmilyBurch.org/podcast.

Advocacy, Collaboration, and … Podcasts!

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Finding yourself traveling this season? How about a podcast to keep you company on that long drive? The ACDA Advocacy and Collaboration (A&C) Committee has been curating advocacy and collaboration-focused episodes on the Music (ed) Matters podcast as a place for members to spark ideas, learn, and get invigorated. The A&C series kicked off with Bonus Episode #20 – Officially Introducing the Advocacy & Collaboration Series with Robyn Lana and Dr. Lynn Brinckmeyer, past chairs of the committee. The A&C committee wanted to use the podcast platform as a way to illuminate resources and opportunities for listeners to advocate or collaborate in new ways. To inaugurate the series, Robyn Lana and Dr. Lynn Brinckmeyer shared institutional history on where the committee came from, why it exists, and how members can find what they need to advocate and collaborate in their programs. Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts (Music [ed] Matters, Oct. 14, 2021) or click here for a direct link. You can also watch this episode on YouTube. 

Looking for more during your long holiday drive? Catch an audio-only replay of a recent ACDA webinar on advocacy in Episode 79 (video of webinar here). Hosted by Dr. Emily Williams Burch, the webinar description is as follows:

Challenge Accepted: Advocating for the Choral Arts –  A Panel Discussion with Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Advocating with Administrations and Legislation – This session addresses the most commonly asked advocacy questions by going right to the source – administration and legislative masterminds. Russ Sperling is the Director of Visual and Performing Arts for San Diego Unified School District, as well as excellent with legislation and getting things done. As a Chief Operating Officer for Fairfax County Public Schools, Marty K. Smith understands the inner workings of superintendents, district offices, and all the details of operating one of the largest school districts in the country. You will walk away from this panel with resources and answers you can use to advocate and amplify your program! 

In this episode, you learn specific ideas and tools for working with administration, solving problems, and tips for making things happen. Find the podcast episode wherever you get your podcasts (published Nov. 9, 2021) or use this direct link.

Dr. Emily Williams Burch chairs ACDA’s Advocacy & Collaboration Committee. Dr. Burch has served in various positions for ACDA at the state, regional, national level in a variety of roles, including co-programming chair and honor choir coordinator for the Southern Region ACDA conferences since 2014. You can subscribe to her podcast for music educators wherever you get your podcasts, or at EmilyBurch.org/podcast.

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