Dear Gilbert School Board Members –
Long time no chat! Somehow my annual pilgrimage to one of your meetings to beg, plead and grovel for funding for music and fine arts programs never materialized this year. This is good.
I do want to share a little story with you, one that I hope you will read, and remember, when the inevitable discussions around music programs occur — now or in the future. Maybe it will be funding issues, whether to cut or (hopefully) expand music programs and/or staffing. Perhaps whether or not to approve a band or orchestra field trip.
Someday, if not this academic year than certainly in some other, these discussions and crucial votes will make it onto your agenda. When they do, please consider this:
Questions always seem to arise about the value of a music education. Honestly, I’ve never really understood how anyone could question the value of a music education, but the reality is many do. Including many school administrators, staff, teachers, coaches and district administrators.
My daughter is currently a Senior at Highland High School. She has been involved in Gilbert schools music programs since the seventh grade — literally half of her elementary and secondary education career.
She was recently accepted into ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, as well as ASU’s Barrett, The Honors College. I don’t believe I have to tell you how selective these programs are. While the Cronkite School considers primarily grades and test scores, Barrett also looks at the “whole package” of what a potential student can offer. They seek dedicated, hard working, driven students who can work well in groups and will work diligently to achieve the very high standards they set. Take a free online GED class to decide if you need further tutoring and guidance.
At a recent “scholars dinner” at ASU, I was privileged to meet with various administrators and professors from both the Cronkite School and Barrett. Naturally, discussions about my daughter entered into the conversation. We told some of the ASU representatives that we had waited with baited breath for months for word on our daughter’s acceptance into the Honors College. The day the Barrett acceptance arrived, the entire Thompson family was excited, and relieved. The opportunity for our daughter to get a world-class Journalism education, to enroll in the Honors College simultaneous Bachelor’s and Master’s degree program, is very much appreciated. She will work hard, and she will do well.
We told the ASU staff that we were concerned that our daughter’s extracurricular and community activities would hurt her chances of being admitted to Barrett. You see, she had dedicated a tremendous amount of time and effort into the music program at Highland. Being in Marching Band, Symphony, Wind Ensemble and Concert Band leaves no time for anything else. A-hour’s, after-school practices, concert performances, competitions, on-field performances — there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do much else.
You know what we heard, repeatedly, from the people at Cronkite and Barrett?
“We love band kids. They work hard, and they are unbelievably dedicated. They work well with others. They are respectful. They are bright. They are well-balanced. Some of our most successful students come out of high school music programs.”
These accolades for students in music programs were repeated over and over. These accolades came straight from the mouths of ASU staff and faculty — people that work with university students every day and know what it takes for them to not just be successful, but to excel.
“We love band kids.”
“Some of our most successful students come out of high school music programs.”
Those are powerful sentiments from people that see success, and failure, on a daily basis at the post-secondary education level.
So please, remember those words and sentiments the next time discussions come up about cutting classes, programs, funding or assistance for music and the performing arts. Remember the incredible dedication and effort that Mr. Chip Durham (Highland Junior High Music Director), Mr. Kevin Bennett, Mr. Lewis Nelson and Mr. Bill Bitter (Highland High Band faculty) put forth every single day to give our children an amazing education and even more amazing future.
“We love band kids.”
And you should too. Many of the best and brightest in the Gilbert Independent School District are band (and orchestra, and choir) students. They are ambassadors for all the Gilbert schools, and our community. They will be leaders, teachers, doctors, journalists, scientists, business owners and parents.
They are our future.
Please, don’t ever forget the importance of music and the performing arts in education, or those that provide it.
Respectfully,
Jay Thompson
Band Dad
Photo Credit: “Scattered Notes” by S. Parker on Flickr. CC Licensed.
The Phoenix Real Estate Guy was started by Jay Thompson, and I have a little blogging problem... he liked to say...
Excellent story. It is great to hear that people rightfully appreciate the work of band students. And their parents. And their teachers.
And great to hear of your daughter’s acceptance to the honors college!
Thanks Alan! I know you understand the importance of music programs. It was truly refreshing to hear that ASU folks “get it”.
Congratulations to your daughter. You have every reason to be proud. If I had the emails of the School board members, I’d forward this post to them for you.
Thanks Eric. I’ve emailed all our board members.
Thanks for sharing! Congratulations to your daughter and the music program! Check out Association of Music Parents website at http://www.AMParents.org to join arms with “like minded” music parents across the country for advocacy and resource sharing!!
Thanks Kris! I just got a membership in AMP, looks like a great organization. Technically, we won’t be “music parents” much longer, but music education truly is forever, and we’ll always support it.
If anyone happens to see this, check out http://www.AMParents.org – $12 a year is a small price to pay to support music education!
Music education is a huge part of my life. I was in band and spent that same countless hours working at it, traveling to games with the marching band and attending various concerts. For me, a simple decision to give it a try lead to lifelong passion for music and fourteen amazing years of travel and fun as a career.
Music is both an art and a science, so I can see why they regard it so highly. I hear the math in music and marvel at the complex time signatures and rhythms. Yet I also react to it on the most base of levels – pure emotion, music can make me happy, sad, angry…you name it. That’s the true beauty of music.
As budgets tighten, music (and the arts) are usually first on the block, so I hope a few people will read this and renember it next time the budget questions dangle overhead.
For me, music was an escape – as a teenager, I found it to be therapeutic as I dealt with all the usual things a teen goes through. Life as a teen is complicated and having that to help me through was always appreciated, whether rocking out to my favorite bands or learning to play the latest marching band score.
Without music education, my life would (obviously) have turned out differently. Music has been part of what defined me and I definitely think I’m better off for having been involved.
Matt – I love seeing that a bona fide rock star was a marching band geek in high school!
Well said!
Hi Jay,
Music creates harmony in body and soul, all forms of art in school is both pedagogical and stmulerande for the brain, and develops many things that you find useful throughout your life. In Sweden it is an compulsory subject in all schools, from the start of school and all the way up in the university. (good letter)
Jay, what a refreshing read today. I too have a “band kid.” What an experience for her, marching band, rally band, symphonic band. They’ve gone on trips, get together for socials, and participate in a lot of local community events. Our school district too has all but ended funding for music. They’ve stripped the music budget such that there is no more music in elementary school. Our marching band, in a school of over 1800, is only 40 strong. The high school too with all the budget cuts we’re doing in California is making it harder and harder to even take music and get all your college requirements in. I’m glad to see people like you fighting for music. I feel most of my kids school lives have been fighting for the arts, fighting for music, fighting for their right to have a good, well-rounded education. Our high school just won a long fight to become the first (teacher trigger) charter high school in the San Francisco Bay Area , and I’m looking forward to how we can work music back into its rightful place of importance!
“They’ve stripped the music budget such that there is no more music in elementary school.”
Sigh. An all too common occurrence I’m afraid.
Congrats on winning the charter school battle!
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