March Capitol Hill Event Honors Music Education Champions

RESTON, VA February 21, 2004--MENC: The National Association for Music Education will present awards to author and composer-lyricist Christopher Cerf, Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich and Hershey Foods Corporation at the 8th annual FAME (Fund for the Advancement of Music Education) Dinner on March 4, 2004 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. All recipients are being honored for their generous commitment to improving music education in our nation's schools.

Christopher Cerf will be presented with a FAME award in recognition of his exceptional talent as a composer-lyricist, and as co-founder and president of the education televison production company, Sirius Thinking, Ltd. For more than 30 years, he has also been a regular contributor of music and lyrics to Sesame Workshop productions. He is the recipient of two GRAMMY Awards and two Emmy awards for song writing and music production. Currently, Cerf serves as Creative Producer and Music and Audio Producer of Between the Lions, the multiple-award-winning children's literacy series his company, Sirius Thinking, created for PBS.

Also receiving a FAME award is the Honorable Robert L. Ehrlich, governor of Maryland. The governor is being recognized for his support of education, especially arts education, and for his strong commitment supporting MENC's efforts to re-educate our country about the significance, history and meaning behind the National Anthem through MENC's SingAmerica!~The National Anthem Project. Governor Ehrlich is leading the way as the national executive chairman of SingAmerica! and has committed to this multi-year effort with financial support and state resources.

MENC is presenting its Partnership of Professionals Award to Hershey Foods Corporation. With the establishment of the Hershey's All-USA High School Band, Hershey's and MENC have teamed up to honor the best high school-age musicians in the United States. One hundred students will be selected for this national recognition program based on musical talent, academic excellence and community service. Hershey's, a name synonymous with chocolate for more than 100 years, has had a long-standing commitment to giving back to the community, and in particular, children's causes.

The Fund for the Advancement of Music Education (FAME) is an MENC-administered program that seeks to improve and expand music education for all by affecting changes in the general public's perception of its importance. The program's goals are to increase public awareness of the importance of music education and to promote public support for music education at the local, state, and federal levels. FAME funding enables the music education community to reach out beyond the parameters of the teaching profession to the world in which Americans learn about and make music. The annual FAME Dinner, a formal event, will be held at the National Museum of Women in the Arts on March 4, 2004 in Washington, D.C. Funding for the event is provided by BMI and Lockheed Martin Corp.

MENC: The National Association for Music Education, the world's largest arts education organization, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. More than 100,000 members represent all levels of teaching from preschool to graduate school. Since 1907, MENC has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. MENC's activities and resources have been largely responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education.   

For more information, call 1-800-336-3768, or visit www.menc.org.




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