The School-Real Estate Values Connection
A colleague of mine, John Pietrowski (who runs Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey and is on our project team for the New Jersey Arts Education Census Project, which is really the next generation of work he pioneered in the state) has often commented in our meetings about the connection between real estate values and quality […]
“Class Act” in the News
Here is the first media coverage on the World Premiere of CLASS ACT. The three documentaries will be making their world premieres. ''We're very excited,'' says Class Act director Sara Sackner, who was still putting the finishing touches on the film last week. “Jay has had such a huge impact on so many Miami people, […]
A Class Act
Over the past year I have had a chance o get to know Heather Winters and Sara Sackner as they weere working on thier new film Class Act. I have come to admire thier work, thier research, thier commitment to telling he story of the plight we face in the music and arts education community. […]
Whay Advocate Now?
I recently wrote an article that was published in the Fractured Atlas Newsletter: The Advocacy Issue. It turnd out pretty wel so I thought I would share a snippet and then provide the link to the full text: Advocate, noun, from Latin advocatus, advocare – to summon or to call. (1) one that pleads the […]
Music for All Enters the Wonderful World of Podcasting
I must admit, I was intrigued by the idea the first time I heard of podcasts a little less than a year ago. When Apple brought podcasting to the public’s attention in June I became even more interested in the idea. I do a lot of writing (for this blog, for magazines, for other projects) […]
School Performance of Grease Ignites Culture War
It appears that the a high school performance of the musical Grease has ignited a culture war: When Wendy DeVore, the drama teacher at Fulton High here, staged the musical "Grease," about high school students in the 1950's, she carefully changed the script to avoid causing offense in this small town. She softened the language, […]
Sound of Music in New Brunswick
When everyone works well together great things can happen for our students. The collaboration in New Bruswick to restore music and arts education is a great case in point! During the two decades New Brunswick was remaking itself into a celebrated cultural hub, the music program in its public high school kept getting cut back […]
Music Teachers on Strike!
It seems things have gotten a little out of control at Midori and Friends, a non-profit music education organization that provides music instruction in several New York City Public Schools. While not taking sides (other than to say we agree with Midori's comment that this strike is not serving the kids who benefit from this […]
Battle of the Bands vs Battle of the Bulge
From the "now I have seen everything" category we have this little tidbit from the great state of Texas. Could it be that the next great threat to music and arts programs in the United States is not No Child Left Behind, or State High Stakes Tests, or increase graduation requirements, or block scheduling, or […]
Mr. Holland’s Opus. 10 Years Later – What Did We Learn?
On January 9th 1996 something of a defining and unifying moment occurred for music education and music education advocacy. It was on this evening that more than 25,000 concerned citizens, music teachers, principals, superintendents, celebrities, politicians, students, advocates and other gathered in 49 locations across the nation for the premiere of the now legendary film, […]
