American Music Month

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SENATE
PAGE S11012
Oct. 10, 2004

AMERICAN MUSIC MONTH
S. RES. 459

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the resolution with my colleague, Senator LAMAR ALEXANDER, designating November, 2004, as American Music Month.

Of all the creative and artistic contributions our Nation has offered to the world in its short history, our music is perhaps the most definitively American aspect of our culture.

America's vast and profound repertoire of music expresses our country's vital cultural and social identities and empowers us to preserve our past and pursue our future; it transforms our wondrous and harsh experiences into potent messages that freely declare democratic choice and freedom of expression; it inspires social justice, enlivens collective action, and reflects our Nation's dynamic social movements.

Senator ALEXANDER and I ask our colleagues to join with us in recognizing American musical heritage as an expression of this country's democratic freedoms and indomitable spirit.

Several prominent music organizations and their members have been celebrating American Music Month in November for many years. The contributions of these groups, in music education, preservation, scholarship, promotion and performance, should be highlighted during American Music Month. They help us experience and appreciate our Nation's musical heritage.

The Society for American Music, first named in honor of Oscar G.T. Sonneck, early director of the music division in the Library of Congress and pioneer scholar of American music, strives to stimulate the appreciation, performance, creation, and study of American music and its cultures in all their diversity.

The MENC: The National Association for Music Education was established in 1907 to advance music education by encouraging the study and making of music to celebrate and preserve our cultural heritages. Today it includes a membership of more than 100,000 active music teachers, university faculty and researchers, college students preparing to be teachers, high school honor society members, and music afficianados.

The College Music Society actively promotes music teaching and learning, music research and dialogue, and diversity and interdisciplinary interaction among cultural institutions.

The Music Library Association provides a forum for study and action on issues that affect music libraries and assures that users of music materials are well served by their libraries.

The American Musicological Society was established in 1934 as a body of scholars devoted to the advancement of research in the various fields of music as a branch of learning and scholarship.

The organization Americans for the Arts, created in 1996 as a result of the merger of the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies and the American Council for the Arts, is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts.

The United States Marine Band was established by an Act of Congress in 1798 and represents America's oldest professional musical organization. Its primary mission is to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. November 2004 marks the sesquicentennial of the birth of John Philip Sousa, director of the Marine Band from 1880 to 1892. Sousa brought "The President's Own" to unprecedented levels of excellence and shaped the band into a world-famous musical organization. The band continues to maintain Sousa's standard of excellence for the performance of America music today, through White House performances, public concerts, and national tours.

In June of 2004, the Illinois House of Representatives adopted a measure similar to that which we offer today. Approval by the Senate will be an important step toward the national recognition of this month of celebration. I urge the Senate to pass this resolution in a timely fashion so that we can properly honor American Music in all its forms.