Symposium on Music in Schools
Examining the role of music education in today’s society.
The Symposium on Music in Schools is held biannually at the Yale School of Music. With support from an endowment created by the Yale College Class of 1957, the Symposium was created with the goal of bringing together leaders to discuss how music education might best become an integral and important part of the curriculum of public schools.
About the Symposium
In its 2005 gift agreement for the Music in Schools Initiative, the Yale Class of 1957 included a specific call for the School of Music to hold "a convening at least every other year to bring together teachers, school administrators, public officials, and citizens to discuss how music education may best become an integral and important part of the curriculum in public schools." Per this mandate, the School of Music hosts a biennial Symposium on Music in Schools that brings together a unique subset of people from the field of music education.
In 2017, experts from higher education, public schools, arts organizations, national service organizations, and foundations gathered for a discussion about national arts policy. That conversation yielded the Declaration on Equity in Music for City Students, which identifies music as a birthright.
In its earliest iterations, the Symposium was organized to recognize excellence among music teachers from public schools across the country. To this day, the Symposium continues to honor outstanding music educators and, since 2019, has also recognized the outstanding work of teaching artists.
The 2021 Symposium on Music in Schools, which was held online and whose title and focus was Equity & Opportunity: Advancing Music Learning Ecosystems, is now available in its entirety on-demand. Watch and/or revisit informed conversations about the importance of ensuring an active music life for every child in the United States and how we can work collaboratively to reach that goal. The 2019 Symposium on Music in Schools explored how institutions of higher education can better prepare music educators and teaching artists for service to the 21st century music ecosystem.
Previous Symposia on Music in Schools
2007
The first Symposium on Music in Schools, in 2007, brought together 45 educators from 19 states. The theme, Music: A Child’s Birthright, informed workshops, panel discussions, and lectures by leading pedagogues in the field and a recital by the renowned pianist Emanuel Ax.
2009
The 2009 Symposium hosted 50 distinguished music educators and music teachers from the New Haven Public Schools. The Symposium focused on El Sistema, and ways in which the Venezuelan music-education system could be incorporated into American music education.
2011
There were two main subjects discussed during the 2011 Symposium: integrating music into the general classroom and the relationship between visiting teaching artists and public-school music teachers. Workshops included a demonstration of distance learning technology and a talk by acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma presented in conjunction with the International Festival of Arts & Ideas.
2013
The fourth Symposium on Music in Schools, in 2013, featured conversations about how music could be “front and center” in national discussions about school reform.
2015
In 2015, participants included both music educators and representatives from professional musical organizations who partnered in their communities to strengthen the role of music education. The discussions focused on ways to encourage public-private partnerships through careful planning and creative programming.
2017
Participants in the 2017 Symposium on Music in Schools focused on creating a framework for making a case that each child in each city in the United States deserves an education in music. The 2017 Symposium yielded the Declaration on Equity in Music for City Students.
2019
The 2019 Symposium on Music in Schools asked how higher education can better prepare music educators and teaching artists to be part of the 21st century music ecosystem.
2021
The 2021 Symposium on Music in Schools, which was held online in June and whose title and focus was Equity & Opportunity: Advancing Music Learning Ecosystems, is now available in its entirety on demand. Watch and/or revisit informed conversations about the importance of ensuring an active music life for every child in the United States and how we can work collaboratively to reach that goal.
