The Association of German Music Schools – Verband deutscher Musikschulen VdM is a national association for all public or public-funded music schools. Through their membership in the VdM, music schools are automatically also members of one of the sixteen regional associations, which correspond to the federal states of Germany. The board consists of five members, one vice-president and one president elected by the general assembly. The extended board consists of the board supplemented by the chairpersons of the regional associations, one representative of the municipal umbrella organisation, the spokesperson of the federal parents‘ association and the support society. VdM office employs nine full-time and fourteen part-time staff as well as one volunteer.
The VdM’s tasks include advocacy for music school education, communication and coordination with its members, coordination of partners at national level, national curricula, development of pedagogical standards, further training for music school teachers and directors, organisation of national youth orchestras, national quality management and the national programme “Kultur macht stark”. The regional associations’ tasks are communication and coordination with its members, coordinating partners on a regional level, regional curricula, development of pedagogical standards, further training for music school teachers, and organising regional youth orchestras.
