Every music educator is an advocate for music education. Members of the The National Association for Music Education (MENC) advocate for the cause of music education. Beginning right in the classroom and moving beyond it to community leaders state decision makers, music teachers have spheres of influence where they can cultivate support for music in the schools. MENC has resources to help, but the most effective efforts take place at the grassroots level. In this article, the author presents the experiences shared by MENC members in promoting music as an essential part of education.