California Press Conference Announcing Arts Education Funding
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger held a press conference yesterday announcing California's massive half-a-billion dollar investment in arts education featuring American Idol's Randy Jackson and Earth WInd and FIres Phillip Baily. We have posted a podcast of the event at: http://www.music-for-all.org/FromtheTrenchesPodcast.html For details on the funding Click Here The quick recap: ARTS AND MUSIC BLOCK GRANT The […]
$500+ Million for Arts Education! Now this is Leadership!
When someone is committed… REALLY committed to creating change… great things can happen. In some places people just TALK about supporting arts education and being committed to change but do not back it up with resources or political will (See New York Article below) This is what real leadership looks like: In January I proposed […]
In NYC a blueprint… but no accountability
There is a great article in the NY Times about the process that the Department of Education is going through to help reinvigorate arts education. This is the completion of the first ful year of the implementation of the city's arts education blueprint. The high quality of the teaching at schools like P.S. 156 and […]
The Four C’s of advancing Music Education
Every now and again someone has the crazy idea that I may have something of value to say and asks me to be a part of a panel discussion. As patient readers of this column, you know that I always have plenty to say – whether or not it is of any value is another […]
Important subjects being left behind
The Indianapolis Star printed a "My View" today on the topic of NCLB. Not that I want to sound like a one note Johnny or anything… but this reinforces my bigger point about how the debate about NCLB is now as mucha public debate as it is political. The result will be significant changes, if […]
Off to Notre Dame!
I a heading off to Notre Dame for a speech on Music and Arts Education Advocacy for the attendees of Conn-Selmer University. While there… I am sitting down to record a podcast with Dr. Tim (Lautzenheiser) on this topic. May even grab some sound bites from some of the other education luminaries. It is bound […]
Dump NCLB?
As the National Commission on No Child Left Behind continues to hold hearings (Next stop Madison WI!) the drum beat for major changes or outright repeal of the law get louder and louder (being a drummer I love drum metaphors!) I have written often in this blog about all the various reports on NCLB including […]
No Idol left Behind
Some creative teachers are using the hot cultural phenom of American Idol to teach music. ABC's World News Tonight had this story featuring a music teacher, Evan Tobias, whose Catalysts & Connections blog we have frequented regularly. Thirty-five million people watch "American Idol" every week none more intently than Evan Tobias' fifth and sixth graders […]
UK’s Music Education U-Turn
Every now and then Julian Lloyd Webber goes on a rant about music education in the UK. And why not… he has been a passionate advocate, along with Evelyn Glennie and the late Michael Kamen, to bring the issue to national attention. Here are his latest musing from the Daily Telegraph: Julian Lloyd Webber on […]
Busy, Busy, Busy
Travel, Meetings, Travel, Meetings… will return to blogging on Monday, May 15.
