188 Days ’til 40: Music Lessons

 

“I’ve come up with the theory that the music is within. We don’t bring it in; it’s already there. We have to figure out how to get it out.” – Howard Roberts – Jazz Guitar

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” – Plato

“Music is the art of thinking with sounds.” -Jules Combarieualen

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Red Auerbach

 “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. -Victor Hugo

U.S. Department of Education data show that students who report consistently high levels of involvement in instrumental music during the middle- and high-school years show significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12. — J. Catterall et al. “Involvement in the Arts and Human Development”, 1999.

“Students with coursework/experience in music performance and music appreciation scored higher on the SAT: students in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal and 41 points higher on the math, and students in music appreciation scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on the math, than did students with no arts participation.” – College-Bound Seniors National Report: Profile of SAT Program Test Takers. Princeton, NJ: The College Entrance Examination Board, 2001.

Today I was thinking about music lessons because our 5-12 grade students are busy pleading with our music teacher for their instrument of choice in our school band.  We believe so strongly in the connections between music and learning that all of our students are REQUIRED to play a musical instrument from grade 5-11 (their senior year they do other projects).

My daughter wants to play the drums.  She is adamant about playing them.  On the first day of music class she was devastated to learn that 7 other students also wanted to play the drums (only 2-3 students are assigned drums).  I was very proud of her as she advocated for herself and explained how much she wanted to play the drums and how dedicated she would be.  This is a good lesson in self-advocacy, a lesson she has struggled with in the past.  Over the course of the week she continued speaking with the music teacher until finally, this morning, she showed up in my office with a pair of drumsticks and a HUGE smile.  It was great to see.

Today, 188 days ’til 40, I am thankful for the music programs that still exist in our schools – they make a huge difference in the lives of the students who participate.  I am also thankful that my daughter was assigned the drums – her second choice was tuba!

~400daystil40