Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • SPRING 2017 • PAN PIPES 3 Dear Readers, D ue to the nature of my various roles in the music sphere, I receive almost daily emails related to the arts, advocacy, special music programs, and the like. One such item was from Americans for the Arts, and I was interested to read updates about the 30th Annual Arts Advocacy Day held on March 20-21 in Washington, DC. Over 700 advocates, including 88 National Partners, came from all over the country to speak out for the arts. Attendees had over 400 face-to-face meetings with Congressional leaders and their staff on Capitol Hill. One of the key items Members of Congress were asked to sign was the annual letter in support of federal funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, an institution that was established by Congress in 1965. Letters of support were signed by members of Congress and the Senate, and Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI) announced their introduction of the Comprehensive Resources for Entrepreneurs in the Arts to Transform the Economy (CREATE) Act. e act aims to "serve the people, places, and programs that make our nation's creative economy prosper in all its cultural, social, and commercial forms." It's wonderful to see national support of the arts, and I encourage all to speak out to your national leadership about the causes you support. It's equally important to see activities at the state and local levels, and many of the pieces in this issue of PAN PIPES are about just that — efforts by groups and individuals to support the arts, provide musical outreach, complete service to others, and find ways to financially reach their goals. ere are many instances of service projects such as these happening on our SAI chapters' campuses, in our towns, and across the globe; these are just a sampling. As always, we welcome new music related stories to share with our PAN PIPES readers and new volunteers to write them. Do you have an idea for an article, review, or interview? Is there a research topic or a sister's achievement that you would like to write about? If so, please contact me at SAIPanPipesEditor@gmail.com so we can discuss your potential involvement. I can't wait to hear from you! SAI Roses, Christine Bruns Editor EDITOR'S NOTES Want to make your own contribution in service to the arts? Visit these websites for ideas: Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies, Inc.: sai-national.org National Endowment for the Arts: www.arts.gov Americans for the Arts: americansforthearts.org Maria Bryk From left: Tony-Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell; Peggy Plympton, Deputy Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities; and Jane Chu, NEA Chairman and an Epsilon Delta initiate, during the Arts Advocacy Day and Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy in March.

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