CounterPoint

In tight economic times, public school music education programs may attract some unwanted attention as school board members and site administrators face the challenges of balancing their budgets.

Editor's Note: Editor's Note: This local success story, as told to editor Debra Bresnan, depicts the recent experience of a string specialist and the community that rallied to support the elementary strings program. Due to the sensitive nature of the strings position in the district, this teacher, a veteran of 32 years in the education system, has chosen to withhold her name and that of her district. If you haven't done so already, now is the time to start a music coalition in your community! Find out how to get started here.

Ask any veteran music teacher, and they will most likely agree: students in our classrooms are very different than those ten or twenty years ago. Many authors have called them “Digital Natives”* or the “Net Generation,”** and neuroscientists believe that their brains are wired differently than ours.

Editor’s note: Now More Than Ever, it’s time to let your voice be heard about the vital importance of music education for every child. Here’s an outstanding example of quality thinking and writing on the subject of why music education is crucial to a complete education. The program mentioned has since been saved. Find letter-writing templates in the SupportMusic Community Action Kit.