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Monday, April 19, 2010 at 11:54PM Yesterday, as I sat at my desk with bad music blaring through my headphones, I found myself musing on the state of today's music. Huge hooks, catchy melodies, songs that stay with you, even when you don't want them to. But what happened to the geniuses of yesteryear? Where is the next Paul McCartney or Elliot Smith? Who will be the next John Coltrane or Van Morrison? Will we ever again have distinctive, soulful, honest voices like Gladys Knight, Debbie Harry, or Etta James?
The answer is maybe.
Budget cuts and lack of interest (or understanding) in public schools have created an almost impossible roadblock, preventing kids from learning even the basics of music or other arts. When a school chooses to pour the bulk of its discretionary funds into athletics programs and shuts down its arts programs, the entire community loses. Not because there won't be any more school musicals and talent shows to be dragged to, but because there is a whole generation of kids out there who can't tell the difference between Brahms and Schubert, who can't identify what a trombone sounds like, who have no idea of the roots of the music they listen to on their iPods. But thanks to organizations like VH1's Save the Music, the National Association for Music Education, and Music 4 Life, among others, resources to keep kids learning about music are available to everyone.
Learning about music teaches more than how to read sheetmusic or play an instrument: it teaches kids math (counting beats, bars, etc.), discipline (learning to sing, etc.), and global culture (different forms of music from various places). It gives kids an outlet for expression that could take the place of violence or other forms of acting out. And it gives them a sense of accomplishment when they finally learn that song, master that instrument, or find themselves creating a new piece of musical art. Drawing inspiration from that could lead to a child's interest in other areas of study, including those that use artistic creativity to fuel excellence and invention.
Supporting organizations like those mentioned earlier must go beyond writing a check or attending a party. If we want our kids to grow up intellectually curious and well-rounded, we need to put in the work. Rally your neighborhood elementary school to provide arts education options involving any groups like these, donate your time or instruments to schools or organizations, write to politicians demanding the kind of complete and stimulating education that kids need.
It's not just your ears that will be affected by lack of music education. It's your future.
Children, Education in Children's Issues, Philanthropy 
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