Talking Up Music Education is a podcast from The NAMM Foundation about music education. Recorded live from The 2017 NAMM Show, episode 31 includes an interview with World Series Champion, Turnaround Artists and jazz guitarist, Bernie Williams.
“I believe that every kid should be exposed to music and arts,” said Williams. “It doesn't matter what kind of social background or economical background they have. They should all have that opportunity.”
Interviewed by The NAMM Foundation’s Mary Luehrsen, Williams discusses the idea of earning a college degree later in life, how music influenced his life, and the importance of music education.
Sound Bites From the Podcast
“One of the things [about music] that fascinates me is that you never stop learning and there's no ceiling.” – Bernie Williams
“My biggest concern is that [other musicians] don't look at me as this baseball player that is coming into the scene and he's just showing up. I want them to look at me as a fellow musician. To earn their respect, you can't fake it. You either can play or you can't, and I want to be thought as somebody that can play.” – Bernie Williams
On his Capitol Hill experience at the NAMM Fly-In.
“I [make] it a point to be there every year because out of the whole year, I [see] it as the one opportunity that I would have to directly make an impact in people's lives. I'm making a conscious decision to go out there and spend my time doing this because I know it's going to help future generations.” – Bernie Williams
Talking Up Music Education is a podcast produced by The NAMM Foundation about music education. Host Mary Luehrsen chats with teachers, parents, students and community leaders who share stories about what they are doing to create music learning opportunities. Please download, share and subscribe to keep up with the stories that make a difference in music education advocacy.