When Schools Forget to Rock

A lot of schools are cutting their arts programs due to funding.  While this may seem necessary at the time, the devastation caused by such cuts could prove unbearable.  The words to a song came to mind.  "The Awakening" by Martin (1995) was presented in a concert at Wright State University during my undergraduate schooling.  The text reads:

"I dreamed a dream, a silent dream of a land not far away where no bird sang, no steeples rang, and teardrops fell like rain. I dreamed a dream; a silent dream. I dreamed a dream of a land so filled with pride that every song, both weak and strong, withered and died. I dreamed a dream No hallelujah; not one hosanna! No song of love, no lullaby. And no choir sang to change the world. No pipers played, no dancers twirled. I dreamed a dream; a silent dream. Awake, awake! Soli deo gloria! Awake, Awake! Awake my soul and sing, the time for praise has come. The silence of the night has passed, a new day has begun! Let music never die in me; forever let my spirit sing! Wherever emptiness is found let there be joy and glorious sound. Let music never die in me; forever let my spirit sing! Let all our voices join as one to praise the giver of the sun! Awake, awake! Let music live!"

At the risk of sounding apocalyptic, I would be hard pressed to not tie the end result of a culture which forgets the importance of music, pictured here in this lyric, to our nation's public school system where individuals, in large numbers, no longer see value in music education.  While the lack of value may be in some ways attributed to our profession's aesthetic presentation of the arts, we cannot simply shrug our shoulders and retreat.  We must mobilize.  We must call upon every citizen who holds music in high regard.  We must start at the "grass roots".  We must start with advocacy.  We must do everything within our being to ensure that the future does not become the one pictured in the aforementioned song.  If the song is a predictor of what is to come, it is we who will be responsible for ultimately loosing the future generations of American citizens.  It is not a call to arms, but a meeting of the minds, so to speak.  We must begin to articulate a well-overdue concept of progressive music education philosophy based in sound logic.  No more should we ever again argue with  intangible verbiage.  While music may be very ethereal at some, or even most times, we must argue its reason for existence as a very basic human and universal need, supported with scientific arguments.  

While music is very many things to many people, we must find a way to concisely argue the existence of all music and not loose sight of the forest for the trees.  Of course, each educator will continue to make artistic judgments based upon his or her expertise.  However, gone are the days of arguing an individualized approach to your own school music program.  We must unite as educators and build a "big-tent", inclusive picture for all to argue main points for all music that will be applicable to not only a local school board meeting, but to school districts in the remote corners of this land we call our home.  We must do this now.  Today is the day of arguing.  For if we do not, we must surely find ourselves "defunded" by Monday morning.  Good luck.  Our very purpose and lifelong ambitions depend on each of us rising to the occasion!