Music programs...gone?

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The Aceman
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Post by The Aceman » Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:00 am

It's happened in Utah, there are several High Schools, Middle Schools, AND elementary schools with no music programs whatsoever.
Go read "Ishmael" a novel by Daniel Quinn. It will literally change your life.
Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges.
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Post by JazzGeek » Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:22 pm

The Aceman wrote:It's happened in Utah, there are several High Schools, Middle Schools, AND elementary schools with no music programs whatsoever.
Sucks, doesn't it? I'm just wondering where the outrage is from MTV/VH-1; their "music in our schools" program should be helping. Then again, I picture some school bureaucrat funneling that money into his pocket...... :twisted:

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Post by lilazngrl36 » Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:45 pm

all elementary music programs are cut in my city.

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Post by fieldshowqueen » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:28 pm

lilazngrl36 wrote:all elementary music programs are cut in my city.
We haven't had one for 6 years now
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Post by Jsaxm » Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:42 am

fieldshowqueen wrote:
lilazngrl36 wrote:all elementary music programs are cut in my city.
We haven't had one for 6 years now
And somehow you guys still produce some pretty decent programs.

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Post by JazzGeek » Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:48 am

Jsaxm wrote:
fieldshowqueen wrote:
lilazngrl36 wrote:all elementary music programs are cut in my city.
We haven't had one for 6 years now
And somehow you guys still produce some pretty decent programs.
And that is how bureaucrats justify their cuts; "You guys do well without it anyway....."

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Post by Jsaxm » Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:43 pm

Sad, but very true. If we could only get them to realize the potential that the program could have rather than how well they currently do without....

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Post by The Duel » Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:49 pm

I remember when i was a lad we used to have elementary school band. We would get shuttled to the nearest JR/Middle school or high school and the band director would teach us. There was a one time fee of 5 or 10 dollars, we had to provide our own instruments (clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, flute) and it was once a week for the entire year.

Geez...that was my 5th grade year 1995-1996! All that good stuff here in the city of vallejo. and now look at where our music programs are. not just here in vallejo, but across the state! It makes me really sad because i always wanted my kids to pursue music outside of private lessons, i wanted them to experience what its like to compete. ( i dont have kids at the moment)

Anyways, someone said earlier that they dont want to major in music or music education because of the budget cuts. Budget cuts or not, im still going to major in music only because I LOVE MUSIC. Besides, you can get any job with any degree you have. I have a brother who majored in political science and now builds websites and does IT work for an internet company.

But i guess you have to cut something... or tax... what bugs me a lot is how people want the government to do something about a problem but when the government does something about it, the people get mad. for example:

We don't have to cut school programs. We can just raise taxes to help fund our state education system.but no, lets not do that because we pay to much in taxes.

"HEY ARNOLD! FIX OUR BUDGET PROBLEM BUT DONT RAISE TAXES, AND DONT MAKE ANY CUTS TO ANYTHING!!! FIND A DIFFERENT WAY!!"

It doesnt work that way. Somethings got to give. Either raise taxes or make cuts so we spend less... or do both!

I personally dont care if taxes are raised. Especially if its for the good our kids, our state, and we as people of this state. and its not like we would have to raise taxes in everything. Maybe raising the sales tax just a little.

We have to stop looking for short term solutions to long term problems otherwise we'll be back here talking about this in another 5 or 10 years!

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Post by fieldshowqueen » Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:22 pm

JazzGeek wrote:
Jsaxm wrote:
fieldshowqueen wrote: We haven't had one for 6 years now
And somehow you guys still produce some pretty decent programs.
And that is how bureaucrats justify their cuts; "You guys do well without it anyway....."
Believe me when I say I've had tizzy fits about the lack of Elementary School music programs here. My youngest daughter who will be entering 12th grade next year was the last "class" to partake in that program. I posted on WoP about 2 years ago that band will die due to numerous decisions (some of which were demographically controlled, others controlled by the district) viewtopic.php?t=8536&start=0.

Yes we produce some decent programs, but we've also had one of the better bands in this area (Moreno Valley High School) fold within the last few years, a new high school open with no music program whatsoever except string orchestra, and the number of band members at the two remaining high schools have dwindled each year. Funding is a large part of that (and no P.E. Credit is probably the rest of it). We really aren't "doing well without it" since band sizes are about 1/2 of what they were 4 years ago (if not smaller). I think a large part of that is because kids don't know how to play an instrument entering high school because they did not take music in middle or elementary school because it wasn't available.
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Post by JazzGeek » Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:53 pm

fieldshowqueen wrote:
JazzGeek wrote:
Jsaxm wrote: And somehow you guys still produce some pretty decent programs.
And that is how bureaucrats justify their cuts; "You guys do well without it anyway....."
Believe me when I say I've had tizzy fits about the lack of Elementary School music programs here. My youngest daughter who will be entering 12th grade next year was the last "class" to partake in that program. I posted on WoP about 2 years ago that band will die due to numerous decisions (some of which were demographically controlled, others controlled by the district) viewtopic.php?t=8536&start=0.

Yes we produce some decent programs, but we've also had one of the better bands in this area (Moreno Valley High School) fold within the last few years, a new high school open with no music program whatsoever except string orchestra, and the number of band members at the two remaining high schools have dwindled each year. Funding is a large part of that (and no P.E. Credit is probably the rest of it). We really aren't "doing well without it" since band sizes are about 1/2 of what they were 4 years ago (if not smaller). I think a large part of that is because kids don't know how to play an instrument entering high school because they did not take music in middle or elementary school because it wasn't available.
These are the stories that must be told. I. like many of my brethren here, am a product of public school music programs from elementary school thru high school. Sad thing is, the music program that begat me has pretty much died. The elementary program ended when the teacher retired. And since this particular teacher fought hard for the program, the district decided it was good riddance to not replace this teacher. The middle school is now the beginner program with no marching band. And the high school now is a pitiful shell of a once dynasty of award winning bands----I was ashamed and embarassed to listen to them at my homecoming. It's sad when your alma mater sucks...... :evil:

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