He's not joking about music classes (and similar arts programs) for that matter keeping kids in school, or helping to keep grades up. Formal music lessons, from the time I was in the first grade, made a big academic difference for me even though I'll never be a professional at it. Music was a way of clearing my head and taking a mental break (even if it was a class!) before finishing the rest of my work. It still is! Which is why my kids started music classes in some form already. Even the new baby is joining her big sister in a weekly music-play program. So as I have said billions of times since I started this blog, Barry and I are -->here<-- on that subject.
(And I'm really glad to hear that all seems to be going well at home on the left coast. ;-D )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Message from Barry 10/29/2009
Hi everyone!
I’m recuperating and doing fine.
Thanks for all good wishes.
The Hollywood Bowl show was a fantastic experience for all of us. The crowd was amazing and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra was magnificent. Hearing those beautiful arrangements and orchestrations made me want to stop singing and just listen to them!
The music was definitely a highlight of the night, but a close second was the knowledge that we were raising money to buy musical instruments for kids in the L.A. schools. As you know, because of budget slashes, the Music and Arts departments of the public schools all over the country are being cut.
And even the schools that still have music departments are struggling to keep them going. They’re running out of instruments and the ones that they do have are in terrible shape. They need music stands, sheet music, band uniforms – you name it, they need it. Music classes aren’t just for playtime. Music keeps the kids in school. Really. It keeps the kids coming back to school.
Ask any music teacher and they all say the same thing: when kids are in music classes their grades go up, they learn how to interact with other students and they stay in school.
The thought that the schools don’t have musical instruments or worse, that they may not have Music classes at all is just killing me.
I would like to ask you all to dive in and help me if you possibly can.
It would be so great if you could call your local high schools or middle schools and ask them what instruments they needed and if you could spring it, get the instruments for them.
I’m not suggesting anything near as large as what we’ve been doing of course. Just a trumpet or a clarinet or maybe even one of those Casio or Sony keyboards.
Maybe you’ve got some old music stands in the basement or a set of drums that no one is using anymore up in the attic. Just dust off Aunt Bessie, push her out of the way, and drive the set of drums down to the school!
If you guys could begin to help your local schools by keeping their music classes going, it would be the greatest Get-Well gift you could ever give me.
Once again, thanks for all the get-well wishes.
See you soon.
Love,
Barry
PS……If you don’t have an Aunt Bessie…..and want us to get instruments to schools in need…..you can also go to: http://www.benchmarkemail.com/c/l?A1-672339434 then hit Donate Now………..
No comments:
Post a Comment