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Ode to Music Educators With March recognized as Music in Our Schools Month, students should appreciate music educators’ efforts of maintaining developed performing arts programs NATALIE KHAMIS COLUMN
W
ithin the realm of mustarted talking about our high sic education, March school orchestra experiences and is known as Music in I told him all about our performOur Schools Month. According ing arts program at CHS—speto the National Association for cifically how we have seven Music Education (NAfME), different classes of orchesthis month-long initiative tra, band and choir that is dedicated to raise awarestudents can audition to ness for the importance of be a part of. performing arts education The guy looked at me in schools across the country. with such disbelief. He told As a member of the orme his school only had one chestra program in this FREE PALESTINE orchestra class because his school for the past four years, school did not have enough I never truly realized how funding to expand the proprivileged I was until I was faced gram. He said he had to rely on with reality last month. youth orchestras outside of his Over the Martin Luther King Jr. school like All-State Orchestra in three-day weekend in January, I had order to experience what it is like the opportunity to play alongside to play in an advanced ensemble. some of the best student musicians Scan this From time to time, we are rethroughout the state of Indiana in minded that we are fortunate to read a a two-day orchestra initiative called story about enough to participate in one of the High School All-State Orchestra. most developed performing arts pep band In between eight-hour rehearsprograms in the entire nation. It is opporals, I met a fellow violist in my seceasy for Carmel student musicians tion from northern Indiana. We tunities to nod our heads to that statement
and not think much of it. The norm for us is to win the Bands of America Grand National Championship three years in a row or to be able to play “Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9” at a high performance level from start to finish in only four months. But the fact is while we continue our yearly routines, other schools struggle to keep their music program alive due to lack of support or lack of funding. The next time you enter an orchestra, band or choir room, I encourage you to appreciate that you are about to experience one of the best 90 minutes of instructed music education in the entire nation. We should never lose sight of the time and effort our music educators spend daily to make sure we gain the most out of our high school music experience. h The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Natalie Khamis at nkhamis@hilite.org
eh, i’ve got time This weekend I’m going to get all my work done, be productive and hang out with friends
Saturday
Sunday
GRAY MARTENS GRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE
