When I was in school, I started in band and chior when I reached the fourth grade.  Our schools held concerts 3 or 4 times a year.  I don't know how other states do it, or even other towns within Wyoming, but now (at least here), they don't start the kids until 6th grade.  I also remember that when I was in school, if a kid wanted to play the drums all he had to do was buy sticks.  Now, they want the drummers to have at least two years of piano.  I don't know what the relationship is between drums and piano, but I'm told it has something to do with rythm.  In my opinion, a person can have rythm without knowing how to play the piano.  For some people, it just comes naturally.

When I played, I was the first seat flutist.  I was by no means perfect, but I earned my seat by busting my ass and practicing for hours every day.  My parents never had to encourage me, it was something I wanted to do.  I also played piccolo and baritone sax.  I haven't played in years, something I now regret.  My mom thinks it would be cool if I picked up an instrument again.  She also thinks that if my son saw how much I practiced he would be motivated to practice as well.

Tonight my son performed with the sixth grade band.  This was the last concert of the year and they played songs they will be performing at "District Festival" on Friday.  I must say that everyone has improved immensely since the Yuletime concert.  There were still some moments that made me cringe.  My mom tells me that I now know why she and my grandmother had tears in their eyes after my concerts.  It wasn't because we were so good our music moved them to tears.  It was because they couldn't stop laughing.  Tonight, I think she got a bigger kick out of my reactions.

Anyway, back to what I was saying.  Our school music programs are in serious trouble.  As the cost of everything goes up and more and more funding is needed for this and that and the other thing, music programs are usually the first thing districts cut.  Even at the college level.  Our community college was founded on its liberal arts programs.  Programs like music, fine art, english, etc. etc.  Now, it is thinking of eliminating the music program so it can put more money into its nursing and agricultural programs.  This is very distressing to me, because while I am an English major, music is a part of my soul.

Study after study has shown that when children are involved in music, they have a better self esteem, their grades are higher and they stay in school longer.  This is all good.  What parent wouldn't want these things for their children?  Where is the downside to maintaining funding for a schools music program?  So, the poor football players will have to do a bit of fundraising to get new equipment.  What do you think the countries music lovers are doing to keep music in the schools?  Why, I ask you, do schools put so much emphasis on sports anyway?  Why not put an equal (or hell, even greater) emphasis on music?  Music will stay with these kids for the rest of their lives.  Sports, unless they are talented enough to make it to the pros, will be with them for only a few years.