Okay, let me tell you something about my upbringing; my parents loved me (and still do for the record) and gave me everything I needed and more (also a still-do). But as far as what is important to know for this post, my mother was, and not shockingly still is, a high school foreign language teacher. I have been surrounded by teachers and the education system they live in my whole life. When I was a junior in high school, the government introduced "No Child Left Behind" and today the government is still too overly involved in something they shouldn't be. However, this post is NOT a political rant because quite frankly, what's the point in doing that?
What I do want to discuss is the role being a musician has played in my life and why it bothers me that funding and general respect for the arts is less than what it should be. Don't get me wrong, being able to speak English is exceedingly important and math and science are important subjects to master. A big "however" here, they are not the only subjects that should be studied. And I don't believe that a child, or our society, can thrive if those are the only concerns of the government's education plans.
For this entire blog, I will be speaking solely from personal experience, but I think there have been some studies done which prove that I am not alone in benefiting from the study of music (and other arts). For the record, this is what prompted this post.
My music education began when I was maybe 5 or 6 and my mother insisted that I take piano lessons. I didn't like it at all. I had to practice and it wasn't any fun. But years later I got to start taking violin (although I actually asked to play the string bass...they ignored me and handed me a quarter sized violin) and then the following year I started flute. Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Oboe and so many others followed shortly after.
I had an amazing Junior High band director who told me I could learn any instrument I wanted if I just put some effort into it. And I wanted to learn them all, just like him, and become a "one-man band". He also started teaching me basic theory and history. On top of all of this, music offered me an outlet in the most awkward years of a person's life. I had a place to go where I was accepted and where I could relax a little. I had a safe zone. I had a break from all the pressures of life, including school work.
But he did so much more than that. He had rules that shaped me and so utterly formed who I am and what I stand for today. Because I don't want this post to be too long, I am only going to share three of them:
1) Practice isn't optional, not if you want to succeed. I practiced my flute every night. And eventually, it wasn't just because I was told to - it was because I wanted to. I wanted to improve. I wanted to do well.
2) If you're early, you're on time; if you're on time, you're late; if you're late, you're early for tomorrow. I don't miss rehearsals. I show up because they are important. Furthermore, I am always at least fifteen minutes early to any rehearsal, performance, or any appointment I have. Why? Because that's what keeps things running efficiently. I have time to warm up. And it just is a way for me to show that I respect other people and their time.
3) No Excuses; Only Results. I hate hate hate giving excuses. I avoid them at all costs because at the end of the day, more than likely whatever I would need an excuse for is my own fault. I take responsibility for my actions, good and bad, and I accept the consequences that come with them.
All three of these impacted my total educational development. I did homework, I studied, I showed up to class, I sat in class taking notes and participating, and I took responsibility for the grades that I earned.
But music also pushed me to be more organized and think more creatively. I have always been a good problem solver and I credit my musical studies for that. I also excelled in math all through college - again, music played a direct role. Music and math are linked. That is a fact. It has also been proven that music has a tie to languages...and not just because all of our "directions" are written in French, Italian, German, English, etc. And you can say what you want about marching band being a sport or not, but the fact is that you have to be a team player. You have to know your part and everyone else's. You are physically and mentally engaged as you are constantly multitasking (because walking and playing isn't actually a natural thing...it is hard and takes skill and practice).
My brother is an engineer, so I completely respect the field and understand its importance. However, my brother also studied music growing up and now he is one of the most prized workers of his company. And you better believe that I think my mother making him take piano lessons is part of the reason why. My brother is also unbelievably brilliant....but music definitely has some part in it.
We need well-rounded thinkers, not just calculators. In fact, hasn't technology made the studies of math and science, I don't know, irrelevant because of how spiffy calculators/computers are now? (That is a joke and of course not true; I love math and think it is an important skill base). It is, in fact, sad how many people cannot do basic math equations because they are so reliant on calculators.
So, my point in all this ranting: If there is a chance for you to support a music program or the arts in general, do it in whatever capacity you can!
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