Playback - Fall 2008 - (Page 33)

Brazilian Congress Hears the Call for School Music PROjECt APPROVED tO REStORE MuSIC EDuCAtION PROGRAMS IN BRAzILIAN SCHOOLS Brazilian musicians and the Brazilian Association of Music Education (ABEM) recently achieved a major win for music education. A law bringing music back to schools after 38 years was passed in August by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Since 1971, Brazilian schoolchildren only had arts education as a compulsory art subject, where one instructor was teaching all the arts in a few hours each week. During that time, very few schools— mostly private—offered school music. Felipe Radicetti, a Brazilian musician; Dr. Sergio Figueiredo, ABEM president; and Dr. Liane Hentschke, ISME immediate past president, all worked extensively on the advocacy campaign, along with colleagues from several universities. There was also strong support from the music industry, artists and the Ministry of Education. With this approval, the Ministry of Education and ABEM will now form a working group to plan the implementation of music education with the necessary educator training in Brazilian schools. “Brazil, and especially music educators, are celebrating the fact that President Lula approved the law for music education to become a compulsory activity in the schools,” says Hentschke, a university professor of music. “Now there is a lot of work to do in terms of in-service training and to forum music educators across the country. Schools will have around five years to implement music education services. I hope the Brazilian music industry will work with us to make things happen.” NAMM will continue to follow this historical triumph for music education in Brazil. New Product Safety Law Could Impact Manufacturers New amendments to the federal Consumer Product Safety Act require manufacturers of instruments and other products intended primarily for use by children 12 years of age or younger to affix permanent labels or marking to help trace product origin. Effective August 1, 2009, manufacturers must place permanent or distinguishing marks on products or packaging, to the extent practicable, that will enable: (a) the manufacturer to determine the location and date of production, cohort information (batch, run number, etc.) and any other information that will allow the manufacturer to identify the specific source of the product; and (b) the ultimate purchaser to ascertain the name of the manufacturer or private labeler, location and date of production and cohort information. Congress included these specific requirements in the law as a result of recent incidents involving lead paint in children’s toys made in China. In determining whether a product is primarily intended for a child 12 or younger, the new law states that the following factors are to be considered: (a) a statement by the manufacturer about the intended use of the product, including a label on the product if such statement is reasonable; (b) whether the product is represented in its packaging, display, promotion or advertising as appropriate for use by children 12 or younger; or (c) whether the product is commonly recognized by consumers as being intended for use by a child 12 or younger. Text of the new law can be obtained by contacting NAMM’s Washington Counsel, James M. Goldberg, at jimcounsel@aol.com. FALL 2008 33

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Playback - Fall 2008

Playback - Fall 2008 Contents From the President NAMM Events Music in the News Voices of Our Past, Present and Future: NAMM Oral History Program Celebrates a Major Milestone Commercial Retail Reps in the Field NAMM@AARP New Domestic Members Washington Watch International NAMM Foundation Music Notes Resources Viewpoint

Playback - Fall 2008

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