This week, Jared Cassedy, Longy Master of Music in Music Education faculty member and Longy Side-by-Side co-musical
director, spoke at “Harmony on Capitol Hill: Celebrating 39 Years of Music in Our Schools Month,” a congressional briefing on the importance of making life-changing music education accessible and equitable for all.
Hosted by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and the Country Music Association Foundation (CMAF), this event featured speeches from Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (NY-07); NAfME President Scott Sheehan; University of Maryland NAfME Chapter #225 President Jenna Dietrich; NAfME Executive Director Christopher Woodside; CMAF Executive Director Tiffany Kerns; and three CMAF Teachers of Excellence, including Cassedy.
Cassedy was named a CMAF Teacher of Excellence in 2022 for his work as a performing arts coordinator and a wind ensemble conductor in the Lexington Public Schools, where he has taught since 2018.
Cassedy is currently the K-12 performing arts coordinator for Lexington Public Schools in Lexington, MA where he oversees and supports all music and dramatic arts programming and curriculum development in collaboration with the performing arts teachers, and also conducts the LHS Wind Ensemble. He is also the conductor of the Junior Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble at New England Conservatory of Music’s Preparatory School, an adjunct faculty member teaching conducting for students enrolled in Longy School of Music’s in-person Masters of Music in Music Education degree program, and is one of the artistic directors for Longy’s Side-by-Side Program. Jared is the 2015 recipient of the prestigious GRAMMY Music Educator Award furnished by the GRAMMY Museum (formerly Foundation) and The Recording Academy and has most recently been named a 2022 National Music Teacher of Excellence by the Country Music Association (CMA) Foundation. He is currently the president-elect of the Massachusetts Music Educators Association and is past-chairperson for the Massachusetts Music Educators Association Northeastern District. Jared is an active member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) serving on the Equity Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, and the Council of Music Program Leaders. Prior to coming to Massachusetts, was the president-elect for the New Hampshire Music Educators Association (NHMEA).
You can watch the full live stream of the briefing below.