Congressional Musicians Caucus
Mission Statement
111th Congress
The Congressional Musicians Caucus supports music in the lives of its members and serves as a forum for Members of Congress to focus on the positive impact of music on the daily lives of Americans and on music’s place in social policy. Music has the power to bring people together, cultivate civic dialogue and address important social challenges.
By providing briefings on music-based strategies to advance education, health, and diplomatic efforts, as well as hosting various music-related events, the Caucus strives to cultivate awareness in considering innovative policy solutions and strengthen bipartisan relations.
The Caucus will:
- Promote dialogue on the impact music has on the lives of Americans;
- Provide information on innovative policy strategies that incorporate music, including in the fields of education, health, and social policy, as well as the use of music for increased civic engagement, volunteerism, diplomacy and peace; and
- Present events featuring musicians from the United States and abroad to highlight music-based service causes.
CMC Proposed Activities
111th Congress
- Arrange regular briefings on legislative and policy initiatives and other issues of interest to Caucus members, featuring U.S. officials, visiting officials from other countries, and other experts on subjects of interest to the Caucus. Examples include:
- Briefings from public service concert organizers and high-profile musicians and artists whose work relates to the legislative agenda (i.e.: Farm Aid, Live Aid, Rock-the-Vote, etc);
- Presentations on the impact of music and creative therapies on disability populations, such as returning veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder; children with Autism, Elderly with early stage Alzheimer’s, cancer patients, etc.;
- Briefings on how innovative music-based programs might be integrated into non-arts-based legislation, such as national service and jobs; youth, workforce and community development; diplomatic and cultural missions, etc.; and
- Reports on national music strategies being implemented throughout the world, such as El Sistema youth orchestras in Venezuela and Latin America; and the Music Manifesto with K-12 programming in the United Kingdom.
- Provide draft op-ed columns, speeches, or other outreach materials on issues of interest to members;
- Host meetings with industry leaders and artists about a broader agenda for commercial music in the United States that supports both business development as well as music education, civic engagement through music, etc.;
- Organize music-related events featuring both professional musicians and elected officials to support music education, music mentoring, music-based health interventions and other music-based service causes; and
- Create a “Brain Trust” and advisory board of high-profile former officials, business and thought leaders for whom music has held special importance in life, as well as major artists who have leveraged their talent and visibility for the public good.
Current Honorable Members
Representative Joseph Crowley, Co-Chair
Representative Dana Rohrabacher, Co-Chair
Representative Dennis Moore
Representative Jose Serrano
Representative Jim Cooper
Representative John Hall
Representative John T. Salazar
Representative John Yarmuth
Representative Ben Chandler
Representative John B. Larson
Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Representative Collin Peterson
Representative Paul Hodes
