How Can We Make Music Advocacy a Daily Habit, Not Just an Event?
As music educators, we often step into the role of advocate. But with rehearsals, lessons, and planning filling our schedules, advocacy can easily slip to the side. What if we treated it not as an extra task, but as a simple daily habit? A visible reminder. A quiet ripple that builds over time.
Here are four practical and creative ways to make advocacy for music learning part of your everyday routine, starting this August and continuing throughout the year.
1. Try a Daily Advocacy Phrase Challenge
Use a simple sentence each day that connects music learning with broader benefits. For example:
“Music learning teaches our brains how to maintain attention.”
“Singing releases oxytocin and makes us feel more connected.”
Say it during class, include it in a parent email, or drop it into a conversation in the staffroom. You could write one phrase on the whiteboard each morning or invite students to come up with their own. These daily reminders help others see what music learning really offers.
2. Rotate a Different BBB Poster Each Week
The BBB Music Learning Advocacy Posters are made for this kind of daily visibility. With bold, clear messages and vibrant design, they are available as ready-to-print digital downloads or high-quality physical prints. Choose one each week that speaks to the heart of your program and display it somewhere it will spark curiosity—a classroom door, hallway, office window, or even your email signature. Let the visuals advocate with you.
3. Talk About the Why During Lessons
Make it part of your teaching language to explain the deeper learning behind what you’re doing. For example:
“This rhythm activity helps train your brain’s internal rhythm, making you more synchronised and on top of your learning.”
“Listening closely in ensemble playing is about developing team skills and cognitive flexibility.”
When students and others hear these connections, they begin to understand that music learning supports much more than performance.
4. Make Advocacy a Shared Practice
Set a weekly goal with a colleague. You might both display BBB posters, share one story of music learning success, or bring a reflection to a staff meeting. You could create a shared student quote wall or invite other staff to observe music in action. When advocacy becomes something we do together, it builds community and momentum.
You don’t need a campaign to be an advocate. You just need a phrase, a poster, or a moment of reflection. What small step will you take this week to make the value of music learning more visible?