Parent & Student Handbook
Why Teach Music?
Music is mathematics. The organization of notes in music is rhythmically based on the division of time into various fractions. The mental gymnastics required to perfom this must be done instantaneously and with complete coordination of the fingers, lips, and other appendages of the body needed to produce that note.
Music is a foreign language. Music is a foreign language in two ways : 1-it uses foreign terms and 2-it is a totally new language built on symbols. The terms in music are in Italian for the most part. The semantics of music is the most complete and the most universal of all languages. Not only is the musician told what note to play and when, but also how fast, how loud, with what kind of attack, how long, and it will be played the same way in Japan, in the United States, or in Europe.
Music is social studies. Participation in any ensemble involves close relationships, both musical and non-musical, with others. A large performance organization is almost a microcosm of the adult world these students are preparing themselves to enter. Officers are elected. Both musical and non-musical responsibilities are assigned to each member, with the success of the entire organization dependent upon each person meeting their responsibilities.
Music is science. Music is exact, specific, is built upon and demands exact acoustics. The music on the page is a graph which indicates frequencies, intensities, volume control, melody, and harmony all at once and with exact control of time. The laws of physics are involved with every note that is played.
Music is history. Music usually reflects the environment and times of its creation, often even the nationalistic feeling of the country from which it comes. Music has been entwined with religion, royalty, and the common man from every area of the earth.
Music is physical education. Music requires fantastic coordination of fingers, lips, hands, arms, cheeks, and facial muscles, in addition to control of the diaphragm muscles, which respond instantly to the sound heard in the ears and interpreted in the mind.
Most of all, music is art. It allows a human being to take these individual techniques and use them to create emotion. This one quality, that science cannot duplicate - humanism, feeling, emotion - that which happens when you become a part of music.
Why must music be part of the curriculum? Not because you plan to major in music, not because you plan to sing or play all of your life, not so you can relax, or not so you will have fun (although you will find yourself doing one or more of these), but - so you will be human, will recognize beauty, will be sensitive, will have something personal, will have more compassion, gentleness, love, and understanding, and create more that is good - which adds up to more quality of life! Of what value will it be to make a prosperous living unless you know how to live it?
That is why we teach music in our schools.