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Please Support Music Education

Music education is more than just education. It's integration, it's culture. Those who can play music can change the world. Throughout American History music has been a force towards integration, equality and justice.

To have music education is to enrich.  To deny it is to impoverish. If

For these reasons and many others, I would like to encourage all music lovers to support music education at all levels, and of all kinds. Supporting public school music programs, classical music theory and history through music is to enrich us all.

Thank you,


Erik
erik_squires
astro58go
542 posts
 
+++... "The King Of?... disco.... and SO on....
whart's avatar
whart
3,121 posts
 
Music education-- to address CZ’s point- isn’t about teaching people to be musicians. It is all about exposure. Who knows, someone who has only been exposed to pop music of a specific genre may find beauty in the precision of Bach. And, it isn’t just about the warhorses of classical western music either. Music is one way into understanding culture and history. But, that kind of exposure and "education" has to come early, I think-
I don’t know what public schools currently do- I gather that for some arts, the teachers are really 3d party contractors. One of our former neighbors actually built a business bringing music education to public schools in NYC.
It is an amazing process when you see kids who haven’t necessarily had the opportunity and do have talent catch the fever. I’ve been involved in a few of those programs- kids that would have never been exposed to dance, music or other performing arts. This also ties into the discipline of learning more generally. Granted, this is a small fraction of the population, and even fewer are likely to go on to careers as artists. But, the more general baseline of information and exposure--everything from rural blues to classical, eastern music to some of the roots of modern rock/pop/soul can be fun and engaging. Probably not a bad thing for adults either....
erik_squires OP
16,570 posts
 
Thanks Whart!

Here I am trying to enrich children's lives and it gets hijacked by a discussion about what makes a great musician.

Best,


Erik
Post removed 
ihor
88 posts
 

Erik, 

I think I follow what your OP is about (unlike some others) and fully agree with you.  We need to provide the OPPORTUNITY for our children (and especially at the younger grades! Even a simple drum circle with 3rd graders can leave a lasting positive impression) to get exposed to music, whether trying out for choir, band, or orchestra. Not only can they broaden a student’s appreciation of music, but the strong, positive social aspects such programs can provide are invaluable.  Too often there is incredible outcry for proposed cuts to a school sports program, but nary a whimper when a school music program is slashed or completely eliminated.  These music programs and the opportunities they offer to kids need to be wholeheartedly supported!

Ihor

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