MUSIC EDUCATORS ARE INSPIRATION CATALYSTS

Music educators are everything. The lifelong habit of singing is likely to come to life thanks to a great music educator who creates unforgettable singing experiences for young people. Singing has a ripple effect on overall school participation and attendance, critical thinking, collaboration, and creative problem-solving.

Even though music educators and their students are under immense budget pressures and waning social support, barbershop has the power and the Barbershop Harmony Society has the resources to uplift that music educator directly for greater harmony in their classroom.

EDUCATION FUNDING AND PRIORITIES

Vocal music programs in the schools are under intense budgetary pressures. In the U.S., more than 1.3 million elementary students fail to receive any music instruction. Kids everywhere are missing out; underserved populations, including students of color, urban communities, and rural settings, are disproportionately deprived of this critical part of a well-rounded education.

It’s confounding, because studies show school music programs engage students by improving their overall participation and attendance, and encouraging critical thinking, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. And can set them up to sing for life.

PRESSURES ON YOUNG MEN DISCOURAGE SINGING

Studies show that social pressure, lack of support from peers, and even the simple reality of a changing voice can make singing a risky choice for young men—not an easy thing for adolescents who may already feel insecure. The result: by high school, young women singers outnumber young men by as much as five to two. That in turn makes singing still less acceptable to peer-conscious young men, and so on, and makes it harder for the music educator to find young men to sing in their choral program.

Recruit and Reinvigorate Your Choral Program

Using barbershop in the classroom can be the vital first step to empowering the music educator and reinvigorating that choral music program. Music educators who discover and adopt barbershop are amazed at the depth and breadth of resources we offer, and how quickly barbershop can bring new life to their programs.

We support them in many ways:

1. We make direct investments in the growth of music educators through scholarship programs and Continuing Education Units that each year give more than 350 music educators the tools they need to grow barbershop programs at all levels.

2. We provide classroom curriculum in the free Music Educators Guide that walks choral directors through barbershop basics and gets kids singing close harmony.

3. We provide thousands of copies of free sheet music and tracks.

4. We meet thousands of music educators face to face as presenters, performers and clinicians at the big events of our peers who advocate for educators: American Choral Directors 

Association (ACDA), Chorus America, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and the National Association of teachers of Singing (NATS).

Every choir room is different, and every educator unique. A busy teacher needs to be able to engage all students. No worries, because we offer:

· Music that fits all voices, whether SSAA, SATB, or TTBB, so educators have options for all students. Particularly with the challenge of changing male voices, our broad spectrum of arrangements gives great flexibility.

· Music ranging from the simplest close harmony to the toughest BHS International champ-level charts.

· Quick tastes in the form of tags that give immediate satisfaction.

· Extensive and high-quality YouTube videos to inspire and fire up the students.