NAMM Representatives Promote Music at National Arts Policy Roundtable

The 2007 National Arts Policy Roundtable, “Thinking Creatively and Competing Globally—The Role of the Arts in Building the 21st Century American Workforce” heard the interests of the music products industry, as NAMM was represented by attending staff and Members who promoted the role of music making and music education, during the three-day conference in Utah. Co-convened by Americans for the Arts and Sundance Preserve, the National Arts Policy Roundtable is an annual forum of national leaders in business, government, philanthropy, education and the arts who share a willingness to discuss and recommend policies critical to the advancement of American culture.

Building on recommendations of the 2006 National Arts Policy Roundtable, which focused on the future of private-sector giving to the arts in America, the 2007 Roundtable focused NAMM representatives on the role of the arts in developing the creativity and innovation skills necessary to succeed in a global workplace. Workforce preparedness is increasingly cited by numerous research and policy forums as a key challenge to future U.S. global competitiveness. A growing number of these studies suggest that the current mode of academic preparation is insufficient in the areas of critical thinking as well as creativity and innovation. Yet in many key policy forums, discussion of the arts as part of basic building blocks in developing a globally competitive workforce has been notably absent—even as emphasis on the issue has increased.

To provide the context for the policy discussion, Americans for the Arts spent the year reviewing reports and studies from a variety of sources, both domestic and international, holding a series of national forums and focus groups, and commissioning three essays that explore the topic from the educational, business and international perspectives. The Roundtable connects government and business leaders, scholars, funders, arts agency directors and others, enabling them to network, share knowledge, and proffer policies for consideration by the Roundtable. Policies recommended by the Roundtable are, in turn, circulated back to these networks for implementation.

The Roundtable was established in 2006 on the premise that the arts are critical to our society—and that every American should have an opportunity to participate in all forms of the arts. To learn more about Americans for the Arts and the National Arts Policy Roundtable, visit www.artsusa.org.