Kansas State University

Music education professors' research leads to a national award

Submitted by Frederick Burrack

The Kansas Music Educators Association recently received a national award thanks to the efforts of two Kansas State University music education professors.

Frederick Burrack, associate professor, and Phillip Payne, assistant professor, presented the results of their survey, "Impact of Budget Cuts on Kansas' Schools" to the Kansas Music Educators Association's Executive Council. Burrack acts as chair of the organization's advocacy committee. Members of the council later presented the results to the Kansas State Board of Education in fall 2011.

As a result, the association was chosen as the winner of the Music In Our Schools Month Award for the most outstanding contributions to music advocacy. The award is a beautifully framed American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol in March as part of the celebration of Music In Our Schools Month. The presentation from the National Association of Music Education to the KMEA was Sunday, June 24, at the national assembly in Baltimore. Leaders from all the music education associations across the nation were in attendance.

Burrack and Payne have recently presented research on the impact of budget cuts on music education in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska at the international conference for the American Educational Research Association. They will be expanding their research to include data from Ohio, Indiana, Florida, Illinois and New York in the future.