8 Actionable Steps to Build Music Advocacy in the Elementary Grades
Do you need help building support for your music program? Don’t miss these actionable steps to build music advocacy in the elementary grades.
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As a beginning teacher, I felt isolated. I had moved to a new community and didn’t yet have a strong support system. Online teacher groups didn’t exist, and in my small district, I was the only elementary music teacher.
But I did have an unofficial mentor: our elementary P.E. teacher.
Sue had built her P.E. program from the ground up. Over time, the entire district, (high school teachers and coaches included) recognized the importance of physical education in the elementary grades. Years before I arrived, she had successfully advocated for daily P.E. for every elementary student. The district was fully committed to her program.
When I stepped into my role, the music program was struggling. Parent and community support were minimal, and with only two years of experience, I felt in over my head.
Maybe you’ve been there too.
If you’re working to build support for your elementary music program, or mentoring someone who is, these practical steps can help.
What’s in this post? Click to open the Table of Contents
The Classes You Teach ARE Important!
This was the most important lesson Sue taught me. Over time, I realized what it truly meant for my music program. It became my unofficial motto and the foundation for every decision I made.
“Treat your classes as important and others will come to see them as important too.”
Sue M.
When you consistently plan with purpose, teach with confidence, and hold high expectations, others notice. Students notice. Parents notice. Administrators notice.
Music advocacy doesn’t begin with a plea for funds, a flyer, a concert, or a social media post.
It begins with how you view your own classroom.
Build Excellence to Build Music Advocacy
Building a culture of excellence doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time. But you can move toward excellence every single day.
Some students, parents, and administrators will support your efforts right away. Others may resist. Don’t let resistance distract you from your mission.
Stay consistent. Stay professional. Stay focused.
When you continually demonstrate the value of music through thoughtful instruction and strong classroom practices, people begin to see its importance.
The following steps will help you move in that direction.
1. Be Efficient
Don’t waste instructional time. Have materials ready. Plan transitions. Keep lessons focused and purposeful. Students should be actively engaged from the moment they enter until the moment they leave.
When students are busy learning, behavior issues decrease. When time drags, problems grow. Efficient, well-paced lessons communicate an important fact: music class matters.
2. Perform Quality Music
You cannot expect students to perform well on a piece they don’t enjoy. And if a piece isn’t one of your favorites, your students will see right through it.
Choose quality music that has stood the test of time, or newer music that brings excitement, joy, a positive message, or meaning to your classroom.
When students connect to the music, they perform with more confidence and expression. That kind of performance speaks for itself and it helps others recognize the value of your music program.
3. Toot Your Own Horn Quietly
Show, don’t tell, the value of music to parents, other teachers, administrators, and board members. You and your students can quietly “toot your own horns.”
You don’t have to boast. You don’t have to convince anyone with long explanations.
Instead, let the work speak for itself.
Below are practical ways to demonstrate the value of music to your students, your school, and your community.
4. Maintain Your School Website
Your website is a valuable tool for both instruction and music advocacy. Keep it updated with pictures, videos, and interactive music activities that draw students and parents in. Let it reflect what is happening in your classroom.
Take every opportunity to share and “advertise” your website with students, parents, and your school community. The more visible your program is, the more others will understand what students are learning in music class.
5. Record and Post Classroom Performances
Your website is a great place to post videos of music class activities. After posting a video, I would often send the link directly to the classroom teacher. They shared it with parents through the Remind app, and many families watched and reshared the performance before students even got home.
This allows parents to see exactly what their child is learning in music class.
Instrumental activities, Orff arrangements, songs with rhythm accompaniments, movement activities, scarf routines, and classroom games all make excellent video examples.
Recording rehearsals and classroom performances also celebrates student success. Students love watching themselves. It creates a natural opportunity to teach self-evaluation, encourage constructive feedback, and acknowledge growth while identifying areas for improvement.
6. Perform at School and Community Events
Look for opportunities beyond your regular concerts.
Sing at festivals, retirement homes, PTO meetings, or open a school board meeting with a short performance. Have students sing the national anthem at sporting events. Say yes when invitations come your way.
You can also ask about performing at community events.
When your students are visible in the school and the community, people begin to associate your music program with excellence, joy, and student growth.
7. Communicate
Communicate in a positive and professional manner with everyone connected to your school.
Students. Parents. Classroom teachers. Secretaries. Administrators. Custodians. Aides. Cooks. Coworkers.
Keep everyone in the loop. Let them know what’s happening in your music program.
When people feel informed, they feel included. And when they feel included, they are far more likely to support what you’re doing.
8. Coordinate with Middle School and High School Music Teachers
Some of you teach grades K-12 and may be the only music teacher in your district. If that’s the case, your situation may look a little different.
But if you do have other elementary or secondary music teachers, connect with them. They can become part of your support system and you can advocate for one another.
Align expectations. Share goals. Communicate about student preparation and long-term growth.
If there isn’t another music teacher in your district, reach out to nearby districts. Create an informal support network in person, online, or both.
Music advocacy is stronger when music teachers stand together.
Pay It Forward
Because of Sue’s mentorship, I was able to build a strong music program at my first elementary position. After seven years, I moved to a much larger district with 11 elementary schools.
The school I joined had been without a music teacher for nearly a year.
Once again, I had the opportunity to rebuild, this time with a very different demographic.
Today, you don’t have to work in isolation the way I did. Technology has changed that.
There are online communities, professional networks, and teachers who are willing to share ideas and encouragement.
If you’re looking for practical support, join this community. You’ll get my free elementary music newsletter with helpful ideas and periodic free resources designed specifically for the elementary music classroom.
Conclusion – Your Music Classes are Important
Every school has its own culture and demographics, but the foundational principles of strong teaching and steady advocacy work anywhere.
Treat your music classes as important, and others will begin to see them that way, too.
It won’t happen overnight.
But it can begin today.
3-Part Music Advocacy Series
This post is the first in a 3-part series on building music advocacy in the elementary grades.
Continue the series here:
- 8 Steps to Build Music Advocacy in the Elementary Grades
- Increase Music Advocacy by Developing Music Literacy
- Increasing Music Advocacy by Involving Others
Each post shares practical strategies to strengthen support for your elementary music program.
Meet the Author
Terri Lloyd is an experienced music educator with over 25 years of teaching in elementary music classrooms. She holds a Master’s in Education, an Instructional Technology Certificate in Curriculum Design, and a Bachelor of Music. Her resources are designed to help music teachers develop students’ music literacy and performance skills while enjoying learning.
She presents music education workshops, develops curriculum, and writes for her blog. Terri is on the music staff at her church and leads a children’s program. She performs as an active community musician with a local Big Band, pit orchestras, and at various events.
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