A Slippery Rock University student recently joined leaders from across the country in Washington, D.C., to voice the importance of music education. Nate Presutti, a senior music education major from Clinton (West Allegheny HS), won an award presented by the National Association for Music Education before meeting with lawmakers that included U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.
During the NAfME’s Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit, Presutti won the Collegiate Professional Achievement Award. Presutti was the president of the American Choral Directors Association, SRU chapter, for two years and is now the student organization’s adviser.
“I have done a lot of work on campus with recruitment and professional development with our current music education students at SRU, so I was really happy for that award,” Presutti said.
On the final day of the summit, June 11, Presutti and nearly 300 music education leaders participated in “Hill Day,” advocating for music education funding while learning about music education policy. The group delivered letters of awareness to lawmakers voting on active legislation affecting music education and Presutti was able to meet with Fetterman.
“Our action plan was to explain why music education is important,” Presutti said. “Music education is much more than just music, but also an important tool for life and learning.”
Learn more about music programs at SRU on the Music Department’s webpage. More information about the ACDA at SRU is available on CORE, SRU’s online platform for student organizations.
