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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Toni Redlingshafer, Director


For All the 21st Century Loris, Eddies, Johns, Davids and Dexters


While driving home from a Chanticleer concert last week I pondered the amazing reality that 2 of the 12 members of that world-renowned group actually attended high school in our IMEA District II. What a legacy those two young men are to the choral programs at Galesburg and Peoria Richwoods High Schools and their directors.


As I continued the drive from Galesburg to Peoria, my mind wandered to this upcoming IME Journal article in regard to the Arts (Music) being considered a 21st


Century Skill and how we must


convince “Te Smart People” as Phil Luciano of the Peoria Journal Star calls “Tose in Charge” that Communication, Collaboration, Critical Tinking/Prob- lem Solving and Creativity/Innovation are integral parts of music education. Certainly the success of those two young men of Chanticleer was living proof of 20th


and relevant in the 21st


Century Training still being viable Century.


In my article I planned to use a quote from President Obama taken from the Presidential Proclamation–National Arts and Humanities Month issued October 01, 2010. In the proclamation the president states, “As we work to bring the power of the arts and humanities to all Americans, my Administration remains committed to providing our children with an education that inspires as it informs. Exposing our students to disciplines in music, dance, drama, design, writing and fine art is an important part of this mission.”


Additionally the president states, “Te arts and humanities have also helped


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fuel our economy as well as our souls. Across our country, men and women in the non profit and for profit arts in- dustries bring arts and cultural activities to our communities, contributing tens of billions of dollars to our economy each year. By supporting the fields that feed our imagination, strengthen our children’s education, and contribute to our economy, our country will remain a center of creativity and innovation, and our society will stand as one where dreams can be realized.”


As I thought about those young men from Chanticleer and how they exem- plify what the President had said my thoughts turned to my former students. Trough the magic of Facebook I have reconnected with many of them and have become current with their lives since high school. Teir career paths range from teachers, doctors, attorneys, military officers to technology occupa- tions that I will never come close to un- derstanding. Most are parents and many are still active in some form of music or dramatic performance. As we post about the latest episode of Glee, their children’s concerts or marching band competitions we share many LOLs about our similar adventures in their own chorus, musicals or show choir. In their personal posts these former students many times men- tion specific things they took from their public school music experiences and how those skills have helped them in life. Each and every one of those personal posts falls into one of the categories of Communication, Collaboration, Critical Tinking/Problem Solving and Creativ- ity/Innovation.


Tat’s when David came to mind. Standing backstage in March of 1997 at Disney World preparing to perform he came over to me and said, “Now I know why you brought us here.” I replied, “I knew you would figure it out. I wanted you to see that you could make a career out of what you love doing” and yes he has. He designs sets and performs in Chicago productions, has had a TV show on the DIY Network, and was part of the Preview Troupe of Cirque de Soleil. Te last time I saw him he emerged from their tour bus dressed in a black and white striped suit performing as a mime in white face looking down on me from stilts that made him eight feet tall.


A gasp and a smile of recognition crossed his face as he picked me out of the audience. We got a couple of seconds to “chat”–well, I chatted–he never broke character. As I told him I was retiring in the spring he took his finger and dragged it down his cheek from his eye as to symbolize a tear falling . . . and later I cried, too, as I watched him “work that crowd,” I saw where talent could take someone as gifted as he and I was grateful to been able to protect, foster and guide that gift.Without the arts in schools, where would David be? If his talents had not been nurtured would his life be as joyfully fulfilling as it is now? What David and I witnessed at Disney World 13 years ago was the Four C’s long before the educational world grasp on to the concept they are touting today. David had what President Obama called, “an education that inspires as it informs” and every child deserves that experience.


Illinois Music Educator | Volume 71 Number 2


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