Music in Schools

I was blessed to go to a high school where music was held as indispensable, but I have been sad to find this is not the standard. More and more boards of education are cutting music from schools and the children suffer for it. Music can be the only acceptable way for some students to express their feelings.
I remember freshman year and the first concert following September 11. A lot of students were full of hate and fear over the event. My choral director asked us to write a phrase to capture the sentiment of the concert following the horrific occurrence. I recall my quote was put on the back of the program, not because of it's linguistic prowess, but for what it captured. "Sometimes all you have to do is sing the bad out of your heart."
Music can be the only way to release feelings without risk of harming another. When students lose music in their schools, they risk not knowing it's power. As one of my choral directors always told my women's choirs, "Music is the only thing, that I know of, that can make a small child laugh and bring tears to the eyes of a grown man."
With this understanding, I go into my future classroom with the hope that, even if I am in a school without a defined music program, I can show them that outlet. The appeal to the musically intelligent benefits every student.

For more information on how to keep music in schools please visit: http://www.savethemusic.com/