As most of you know, I am a vocal performance major at IWU. I've been involved in music all my life through church and school choirs, but I began seriously studying music in fifth grade. I was fortunate enough to attend St. Michael's Parish School in my hometown of Wheaton. We went to music class K-8 and it is only very recently that I found out there are still some schools in Illinois that do not provide music education.
I can remember learning how to play the recorder as well as other small instruments like the marimba, and even so far as learning the piano. I was taught how to read music in first grade and that instruction was continued in my high school music program. It may not have been as comprehensive as my instruction at IWU, but I learned enough to supplement my private vocal instruction.
This May term I am fortunate enough to be touring with Prairie Fire Theatre's children's opera called "There's a Martian in the Opera House". We travel around to schools in the Bloomington-Normal area and surrounding towns . It is honestly the most fun I've ever had in my entire life. The kids are introduced to classical music and opera in a setting in which they can understand. At their young ages, they are experiencing Puccini, Mozart, and Offenbach. It is certainly more than I was exposed to at their age. Plus, they absolutely love it. They go crazy and give us hugs and tell us that it's the best thing they've seen. Now, they're only in middle school, but the fact that this is so well received does wonders for the program.
But not every school is as prepared for our show as other schools. Just recently we drove 40 minutes outside of town to a school. We were tired from the day and were ready to set up and get moving. Most schools we attend provide us with a piano, whether it be an upright or just a keyboard. We asked the music teacher where their piano was, and they told us that they didn't have one. Unreal. When asked how they did anything in "music class," the teacher said that they listened to the radio or CDs. They didn't have a real hold on what it meant to teach music.
It was in that moment that our whole team realized how important it was for us to be at this school. We needed to show these kids that is possible to make real music, not just recorded nonsense. Eventually we borrowed a tiny keyboard from the high school that looked like it hadn't been used in years. After the show, girls came up to me and said that it was so much fun to see real people performing. The smiles on their faces made my entire day.
It's no secret that music education is important to children's development. In a study done by NAFME (The National Association for Music Education), they list that music can help with language and reasoning, memory, increased coordination, and many more benefits. I know each of those are true for me. Engaging in music activity is just as important as physical activity. I just hope that visiting these schools students will get excited and demand better music education. It has to begin with the students and maybe by increased visits to that school, the faculty will see just how important music truly is.
(For more information on the article I referenced, see the actual article here.)
