I was asked quite a few times about the final statement in my presentation about advocacy. I encourage you to develop your own statement, but here is what I believe. I believe there are two main reasons to keep music in our schools and communities. 1. The first is musical literacy. A musically literate society has access to the most beautiful and profound musical expressions of the human experience created across all cultures and time. Trained musicians are able to create and share those expressions with anyone and everyone who will listen, and thus simultaneously share a unique, yet common experience that transcends culture, race, gender, religion, economic status, and political perspective. 2. The second is because music is a basic survival need for human kind. In the cave, we made fire, ate food, made clothes and shelter, and then created art. When gathered at night, we sang together and it bonded us. We survive the tiger in the woods better together than alone. Humans are pack animals. Music connects us. It releases endorphins like many other basic human survival needs. I believe that there has never been a more important time for the making of music together. Our ever present connected world through the internet and cell phones actually filters out most of the human experience, leaving us feeling isolated. Most of our musical experiences happen with earbuds on, alone, and passive. Humans need the communal experience. The emotional, spiritual, and physical connections created while singing with another person requires no tools, no equipment, no money. We just need each other and a willingness to express and connect.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 01:16:52 +0000