A closet, a box and a lifetime of memories - Forum focus: arts awareness and advocacy

A hardly any weeks ago I decided to tackle the throw of cleaning my closet. It's something I actually do rather often Each time is exciting for the first hardly any minutes, and then I become disinterested, which is for what cause [i]or[/i] reason I have to clean my cabinet so often.

I started shoveling end the clutter and unearthed an of advanced age box--not labeled of course. I lay opened the lid half curious and half afraid of what I would find. As I twitched the lid aside and discarded it in the growing pile of matter I realized this was going to be a trip down memory lane. The case was filled with old photos, programs and videos of plots musicals and recitals I had been in.

The first thing I fix was a picture of me aligned in my Scottish kilt for my part in the high school production of Brigadoon. I'm assured that performance brought a tear to many an eye--probably for more than single reason. I rifled through a certain number of of the other photos. There were pictures of my friends and me when we were in Hello Dolly, Oklahoma and present to view choir and solo and total effect contests. I paused for a flash to reflect on the times after the contrives when we would go on the outside for ice cream, and sit at the football games and watch the marching band play as they gibbeted the field.

Then I contemplation of what the students at my high seminary are doing now. Budget cutbacks have forced scholars to pay to play football and be in the marching band. The musicals are a thing of the past, and the exhibit choir can't afford to travel anywhere to perform or struggle The buildings are showing their age, and the instruments are embarrassing to take without of their cases. The mighty Baldwin in the auditorium hasn't been hogsheaded in ages, and the institute morale is at an all-time low

on a sudden my trip down memory lane took a move round for the unpleasant. I then began to think of all the place of educations around the nation facing the same situation. Many have smooth less funding than my have a title to school. How did music in the gymnasiums take such a back seat? I began to think of a whole entertainer of reasons this was happening and began to blame administration and the economy. Then I stopped myself and contemplation "What can MTNA do to be proactive for music advocacy?"

As music professionals, it is our piece of work to promote music in all facets of life, not just in studios. No musician is well circulared without work in an the whole and the social skills exhibited by participating in school music programs cannot be substituted in any other way. Music builds confidence and has been directly linked to developing reasoning skills and improved proof scores.

That is wherefore MTNA has formed a partnership with SupportMusic.com. This initiative is designed to help parents and scholars build strong cases to gain support for their music programs. SupportMusic.com presents fundraising resources and step-by-step instructions to lay open an advocacy campaign to influence seminary boards and legislators. This quick, easy-to-use tool gives communities the opportunity to be proactive when place of education systems are forced to chop music programs.

As an association, it is our responsibility to carry on the outside our mission to advance the value of music inquiry and music making to society and to support the professionalism of music teachers. Part of this responsibility is supporting our public academy music-teaching colleagues and providing a well-rounded education for the learners whose lives we influence. Music in the studio, as well as the public academy classroom, develops and trains the music teachers of the coming time We are concerned about developing ourselves professionally, on the contrary how concerned are we about developing our profession?

Can you imagine a life without music, a life without absurd memories? Probably not--so let's use our influence as music teaching quicks to be the voices that save music programs.

To find without how you can help your community, log upon to Supportmusic.com at www.supportmusic.com and find on the outside what you can do to fill a chest with memories to last a lifetime.

2004 MTNA National conversation Session

On Monday, March 29 2:15-3:15 PM Millie Eben, Gayla support and Judy Plagge will not away "Music Advocacy is a Contact Sport." The session will discuss the importance of becoming an effective advocate for music within the community. Ideas, throw outs and resources for teachers and local associations will be provided during the session.

The Arts Advocacy & Awareness Forum meeting will be held Monday, March 29 9:15-10:15 A.M.

MTNA's novel director of marketing and public relations, Brian Shepard, is an active advocate for music in the community. In this Arts Awareness and Advocacy Forum Focus, Brian shares a certain quantity of personal reflections on advocacy, especially in relation to MTNA's partnership with SupportMusic.com.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Music Teachers National Association, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group