I look forward to an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft. I look forward to an America which will steadily raise the standards of artistic accomplishment and which will steadily enlarge cultural opportunities for all of our citizens. And I look forward to an America which commands respect throughout the world not only for its strength but for its civilization as well.—John F. Kennedy
March is "Music in Our Schools Month." Now, more than ever, our schools are called upon to graduate students who can do much more than memorize facts which can be yielded by any Google search. We want students to think new thoughts, to create, and to innovate. Music is a vital part of this process. March is "Music in Our School Month" and provides the opportunity to spotlight this vital, yet often ignored part of growing up whole.
Enjoy this group of 5th graders from Staten Island, New York. They comprise the "PS22 Chorus."
4 comments:
Not only is music great for helping children use different parts of their brains, but it gives them a break from academics and helps them enjoy school. Thanks for the post.
Hi Dr. Buck, my name is Kelli Francis, and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. First of all, I would like to say that I completely agree with you about music in our schools. I feel that it, like sports and academic clubs, can help empower students to learn the values of teamwork, dedication, and practice. Music is something that not everyone can be successful in. It is a category that definitely requires talent and ability. On that note, my last point is that the students in the video gave a wonderful performance! The girl who sang the two solo parts was absolutely amazing, and together they were perfectly on key and had phenomenal harmony. If this video does not convince people that music and the arts are vital to certain students' success, then I do not know what will!
Alexandria, thanks for your comment. One of the benefits cited for studying music is just as you pointed out...it engages both sides of the brain. I remember one particular slide in a presentation given by Dr. David Sousa where he shows the number of areas that fire when a student plays a musical instrument. Sort of like, "This is your brain...This is your brain on music. Any question?"
Again, thanks for stopping by. I hope you will return often.
Kelli, welcome!The neat thing about the video is these 5th graders are from a high-poverty school in Staten Island, NY, yet since they started posted to YouTube the work that they were doing right there in their own auditorium, they have been featured practically everywhere, including the Presidential inauguration.
Glad you enjoyed the post and hope you will return often.
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