from the desk of the executive director
The Main Thing Michael George, Executive Director
As I listened to a graduation speech last May, I was struck by the simplicity of a bit of advice given to students as they prepared to leave high school for new
adventures. “The main thing is to remember the main thing.” Since hear- ing that for the fi rst time I have found numerous occasions when I needed to remind myself, or others, to “remem- ber the main thing.” This is important as we embark on multiple efforts to advocate for the proper place of music education in the school curriculum and extension into personal, family and community life. It is also important as we advance through the years as a professional educator. It is a fact that making music and listening to music are experiences that have profound effects on human beings.
Music Lasts a Lifetime has been the theme for the national celebration of Music In Our Schools Month throughout March. It has also been adopted as the theme for the 2011 Wisconsin State Music Confer- ence. I have been wearing a Music Lasts a Lifetime button almost daily since the beginning of March. It has generated numerous comments and personal stories from people I’ve met in all situations. There is pride and a sparkle in their eye as they relish the opportunity to recount the meaning and joy that entered their life because of their involvement in music. Active involvement is always a part of the story. While listening to music has great value, the memories people wish to share are about active participation in making music.
I have always believed that music is func- tional. That is, music serves multiple pur- poses in the life of an individual, a group, a community, a society. Over the years I’ve sometimes heard colleagues warn against justifying music education because of
“external benefi ts” – the multiple benefi ts it provides to people intellectually, spiri- tually and socially. “We should focus on music as an art form and music for music’s sake.” I must admit to never understanding what “music for music’s sake” means.
On the other hand, think about the indi- vidual and personal benefi ts of music. Glenn Schellenberg, a psychologist at the Univer ty of Toronto, tells us that the research is clear: “Learning to make music changes the brain and boosts broad academic performance. Time and money spent on learning music is a solid invest- ment in mental fi tness. However, science tells us that if you want music to sharpen your senses, boost your ability to focus and even improve your memory, you must actively participate in music. Only listen- ing to music is not enough.”
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In his best-selling book, The World is Flat, Thomas L. Friedman talks about the kinds of skills and dispositions people need in
Continued on page 13
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www.WSMmagazine.org 10 April 2011
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