Arts Advocacy Spotlight:
Katy Brodhead, Newark Public Schools Lisa Vartanian NJMEA President-Elect Dennis Argul NJMEA Advocacy Chair “Research shows that when music education is provided as part of the core curriculum, students have more motivation for school and experience an increase for both their self-confidence and their capacity to learn.” https://etmcolorado.org/ Traveling around the state this year, I’ve had opportunities to meet some of the most amazing and inspiring music educators. These individuals have given me motivation to continue the work of increasing music participation for our students in New Jersey. They also provide all of us with important lessons about how best to reach the goal of universal access to a high-quality arts education. In the fall, I attended a young people's concert hosted by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. It was a wonderful event, and it was made even better because it provided me with the opportunity to meet Katy Brodhead. Katy has been working in Newark Public Schools for 10 years, first as a music teacher (PreK-8) and currently as the district’s Supervisor of Visual and Performing Arts. In addition to her supervisory role, Katy serves as urban liaison for Region 1 of the New Jersey School Music Association. As urban liaison, Katy is responsible for advancing good ideas for increasing the participation of underserved students in music education in her region. I wanted to learn more about this important work, so I sat down with Katy for a brief interview at the NJMEA convention in February. The interview helps shine a light on the incredible work Katy is doing and provides ideas for replicating the urban liaison role in other areas across our state. Many thanks to Dennis Argul for introducing me to the excellent work Katy is doing and collaborating with me on this article.
Why did you feel it was essential to create an Urban Liaison position in Region 1? Brodhead: We know that music festivals and similar events can have a significant impact on our students’ lives, increasing their ability level, getting them excited to practice and perform, exposing them to other students across the state, and preparing them for future musical opportunities. All students, no matter their socioeconomic status, should have access to them. As a teacher, however, I experienced many challenges getting my students to participate in events like these. In some cases, families couldn’t afford to pay the fees or didn’t have the means to drive students to the events. When I was able to get through those obstacles, I saw that students from North Jersey’s largest school districts—Newark, Jersey City, Paterson—were underrepresented and, in some cases, completely unrepresented. During the 2018 NJSMA Elementary Honors Band Festival, I asked Past President Joseph Spina how I could help get more students involved from these urban school districts. That one question led to a great conversation resulting in Mr. Spina creating the NJSMA Urban Liaison position. The Urban Liaison mission statement states it very clearly. My role is to “increase diverse student participation in NJSMA regional music ensembles by identifying systemic obstacles and generating solutions for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds so that all students have access to music-making opportunities.” What are the common challenges and opportunities teachers and districts face in this work? What resources/strategies have you leveraged to overcome some of the challenges? Brodhead: The opportunities are huge. Cities often
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