Well Begun is Half Done
Well this sure is something. Three months ago… two months ago… heck even just last week arts education advocates would have NEVER bet that the Governor of California would provide ANY additional funds for music or arts education… let alone $100 million worth. But rolling off his lips in last night's "State of the State" […]
California Gov Proposes $100 Million for Music/Arts Education
Miracles do happen! After pounding on state of California for their horrible record on music and arts education as document in the Music for All Foundation's report The Sound of Silence the Governor of California will propose $100 million for use to restore music and arts education programs. From the release: Arts and Music Grants: […]
Happy New Year
We are back… not that we were really away but… we have been busily working on preparations for our upcoming WearBlue: Support School Music campaign, working through the last phases of our New Jersey Arts Education Census Project before we survey all 2400 schools in the state, exploring new technologies to use as tools in […]
Fun with Holiday News Stories!
We have been busily researching the latest music stories for our readers and the reoccurring theme we have found is: Holiday Stuff! So here are some fun, sometimes sarcastic, always interesting stories to share: Do you hear what I hear? There has been no controversy this year That’s what one New Jersey paper had to […]
Welcome to the season when public school music teachers can never win
Last year at this time Nick Santoro, Arts Supervisor for the South Orange/Maplewood School District found himself at the center of a worldwide controversy. Forced to enforce an unbelievably idiotic holiday concert policy where if an instrumental arrangement is for a song that has words with any potential religious meaning it cannot be performed… even […]
Mathematics for Musicians
One of the blogs I really and enjoy is The Artful Manager. Andrew Taylor continues to present great insights into the work of arts and culture in a very engaging way. Recently, he posted this exceerpt called Mathematics for Musicians. Always one who enjoys a good laugh… I thought it was worth sharing with you. […]
The Power of Music
Last night I had the chance to attend “The Power Of Music Awards” benefiting Beth Abraham’s Institute for Music and Neurologic Function… which is a fancy way of saying music therapy. The night was a wonderful event honoring an old friend on his 90th Birthday – Henry Z. Steinway of Steinway and Sons – and […]
Cuts in Arts Education Risk Leaving Children Behind
For those of you who have followed this blog or my other writings you are well aware of my take on NCLB. The goals and ideals of the law are certainly noble. It is the implementation of the law or misinterpretation of the law that peeves me. It is amazing that so many schools would […]
A National Curriculum?
There has long been this ying and yang about national testing and national curriculum (BAD!) and local testing and locally designed curriculum (GOOD!) that, with the efforts of No Child Left Behind, has now amplified the debate. This point was eloquently articulated by the great educational thinker Diane Ravitch in a November 7th New York […]
As Music Fades in Schools, a Few Play On
An Interesting article and series from the Washington Post. It is another in a series of recent articles that speaks to the decline of music and arts education in our schools. An earlier article from the Pittsburg Post Gazette and my commentary is also worth a glance after you read the story below. What disturbs […]
