Arts Education Research

Dr. Huckabee’s prescription for improving access to music and arts education in our schools

At the Arts Education Partnership Meeting in Charleston, SC this weekend attendees (including myself!) were treated to an extraordinary panel discussion. The moderator was Milt Goldberg who is known for his landmark report “A Nation at Risk.” The panelists, former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley and Arkansas Governor and Chair of both the Education Commission of the States and the National Governors Association Mike Huckabee. The session was great from the standpoint of having two of today’s great education thinkers sharing the stage and focusing on the importance, role, and need to improve the status of arts education. While there were some fairly predicable comments about the value of music and arts education there was one mild surprise: Secretary Riley stated he did support No Child Left Behind and the accountability measures but feels that it needs to be fully funded and adjusted to ensure we value all core subject. Governor Huckabee stated that cutting arts programs under the guise of No Child Left Behind is “Just plain stupid!” The biggest point from the session was from Governor Huckabee. He provided this prescription for what is ailing the arts education movement: If we want to truly change the landscape we need to “identify, recruit and elect to the state legislature people that support music and arts education.” Simple as that. He stated: “A seat inside the legislature is better than 100 people on the steps.” He’s right. Actually it is probably worth more. (Here in New Jersey we actually know how much a seat is worth … but I will save that for another time!) That’s not to say that is will be easy. But, as the Governor said in Charleston “It’s Laboruos – Not Complicated.” So therein lies the task. It will take hard work … but it is not complicated. The sooner we start, the sooner we will begin to see improvement. So get out your state legislative maps and lists and begin to build your relationships with the people who are there and identify some people who should be and them help get them elect to office. I have just spread out the New Jersey state electoral map on my floor. And while we are talking about recruitment… what do you think about recruiting Governor Huckabee for a new seat … a seat in the White House …

What a Difference a Year Makes - Music Returns to Fresno!

Last year at this time Fresno Unified School District had eliminated the music program. As the new school year gets into full swing the sound of music has returned to this town. Let's hope this is a trend that catches on in California!

On Wednesday, the Fresno Unified school board will hear how teachers are restoring the music program, including the addition of weekly classroom lessons for first-graders. The district is trying out such general music lessons at 11 schools in hopes of getting trustees to approve more funding next year to expand instruction to other grades. Elementary music was eliminated during budget cuts for the 2004-05 school year and high schools had some music funding trimmed. The district was able to bring back the $3.4 million program this year, after reaching contract agreements with employee unions to cap health care costs. Kate Wippern, Fresno Unified's music coordinator, said restoration got a slow start. She's still working to find and repair instruments placed in storage so elementary schools can recreate band or orchestra, and she's still working to find enough music teachers because many left during the year hiatus. She said some middle schools don't have enough interested students or room in their class schedules for music to re-establish a band program.

Metro: A higher key

I couldn't have said it better!

Just back from a terrific conference on the future of the arts scene here in New Jersey as well as working on our "new model" for arts education advocacy (more on that later.) At the conference there was an wonderful opening session that I was going to write about to share with all of you. Then, I found how someone had done it better. So, since I could not say it better... I won't. From Andrew Taylor

Remembering how to tell good stories The opening keynote of the New Jersey conference I'm attending was Andy Goodman, a communications consultant to nonprofit organizations with a previous life as a television scriptwriter and radio syndicator. Goodman reminded us of the power and humanity of storytelling when communicating a nonprofit's message, and he showed painfully familiar examples of how far many of us have strayed from the craft (complex powerpoints, numbing statistics and charts, dry detail). There are lots of helpful thoughts on the subject in Goodman's monthly newsletter, but the heart of his message was this: every organization should strive to discover their core stories, the stories that define them, and ensure that everyone in the organization (staff, board, supporters) know these stories by heart.

The rest of the story at: The Artful Manager: Andrew Taylor on the business of arts and culture.

Look Who's a Music Advocate!

In the town that has been historically the home of American musical instrument production, Elkhart Indiana, you would expect to find lots of people who would advocate for music education. What you would not expect is this:

ELKHART -- What do mentoring and after-school programs, community-based initiative, and extra-curricular activities have in common? Digger Phelps. Phelps said these are just a few of the things that can help kids in Elkhart along the right path at a young age. "It's got to come back to us," Phelps said, "We have the power. We can change anything we have to as people." He added school budget cuts from the government do not help because kids need creative outlets, such as music and art and after-school programs, some of the first areas schools tend to cut.

Go get em Digger! eTruth.com -- The Truth Online Edition!

Dr. Phil to feature "The Power of Music"

The Dr. Phil Show will feature "The Power of Music" on Monday, July 18th (Check local listings) We sent them links and created a special page for the show on the Music for All Website. We are not sure what they will include from what we sent in the show. Brian McKnight is the featured artist (arranged by the Grammy Foundation I beleive) So set your VCR, TIVO or anyother recording device to see "The Power of Music" accoring to Dr. Phil The Dr. Phil Show

Julian Llyod Webber's Rant on the Decline of Classical Music Education

I enjoy reading Julian Lloyd Webber's columns in the Daily Telegraph. For those who may not know, Llyod Webber has been a champion music education advocate in England (where he partnered with the late Michael Kamen and Evelyn Glennie to bring significant preasure to the UK Government). IN this article he argues for classical music to be taught in the schools and openly wonders what the Korean culture may know that has been lost in the UK

It is no surprise that Julia Hwang - the nine-year-old violin prodigy splashed all over last week's news pages - hails from South Korea, or that both her parents play instruments. To our shame, Western classical music has become part of culture in the Far East in a way that it no longer is in this country. Julia's father runs an IT business in Seoul but still finds time to play the guitar, and her mother plays the piano "very well". Switch on daytime terrestrial television in South Korea and you are more than likely to see someone - usually a native - playing classical music. South Korea's president would never echo Tony Blair's only known utterance on classical music - "Every so often, I feel I should graduate to classical music" - because learning an instrument is the norm in South Korea, and their president would have "graduated" by the age of 10.

Full Story Telegraph | Arts | Choice of reason

The Footprints and the Giant

Over the past year I have become a fan of Andrew Taylor and his blog The Artful Manager. His postings are a mix of big picture thinking on the arts combined with humor, practical insights and well written commentary. One of his recent posting is based on a speech to a Rotary Club in Sheboygan, Wisconsin (not exactly preaching to the choir mind you). The speech discusses in concise terms the difference between the footprints (arts outcomes - instrumental value in Gifts of the Muse terms) and the Giant (the intrinsic value of the arts). As any advocate knows, this can be a tough sell. Andrew Taylor shows he is up to the task.

''The Footprints and the Giant.'' The footprints are the impressions left by something very large, but they are not the thing, itself. Economic impact is a footprint. Social connection is a footprint. Education and personal growth are footprints. And a vital civic life is a footprint, as well. They are easier to talk about because they are the things we can see and measure. Our focus on the footprints can blind us to the more important point. The footprints get larger and deeper only if we understand the giant that leaves them.

This article is a must read for any arts advocate. The Artful Manager: The Footprints and the Giant

New Exhibit Shows Clinton's Favorite Music

Less than 6 months after opening of his new Presidential Library, a tribute to the role of music and music education in President Clinton's life goes on exhibition.

If you want to read more about the role of music in his life visit my column "Changing the World One Life at a Time."

LITTLE ROCK - While saxophones became an informal trademark for America's first rock 'n' roll president, memorabilia going on display this weekend at Bill Clinton's library range from an Eritrean lute to a Czech recorder to a larger-than-life painting of bluesman B.B. King.

Bono donated the hand-written lyrics to "Hands That Built America," which he sang at the dedication of the Clinton Presidential Library in November. Also featured in a temporary exhibit opening Saturday are video highlights of a teenaged Clinton in the Arkansas All-State Band and samples from his eclectic compact disc collection.

New Exhibit Shows Clinton's Favorite Music - Yahoo! News

Parents in California Rally

Well, well, well...

Parents were main organizers of the effort in Sacramento to protest school funding cuts and draw attention to the dire straits of public schools (complete with a high school band that is about to be cut!) on the same day the Governator's approval ratings go through the floor... largely due to his poor handling of schools.

Go parents go!

Malibu, Santa Monica parents rally in Sacramento

Your Reward for Doing a Good Job...

'Teacher of the Year' pink-slipped

South Bend, IN - She was named South Bend's "Teacher of the Year" but come next school year, she could be looking for a new job.

Susan Walker was given the award Tuesday night, four days after the school district handed her a pink slip. Walker has taught music in South Bend for the past 16 years.

You just can't make this stuff up! Comment away!

WNDU-TV: Story: 'Teacher of the Year ' pink-slipped - May 04, 2005