Performances and Girl's State Basketball

I wanted to take this posting and talk about a couple of things.

First, congrats to all those students who performed band solos this past Thursday. It takes a lot of work to prepare a solo, not to mention getting up in front of a judge and an audience and having them critique you! Putting yourself out there is a great skill to have and these solos/duets provide a great opportunity to develop those skills! Kudos to you, even if the scores don't reflect the work you thought you put in.

Second, I am thrilled to see that the live pep bands are going to be continued at the Girl's State Basketball Tournament. In case you missed it, a couple of weeks ago, the new head of the girl's athletic union decided that live music was going to disappear from the event in favor of recorded music. There was a big uproar from the music education community in the state, as well as some media attention--John Carlson had an article in the Des Moines Register and I know I saw something on it on a WHO sports broadcast. Thankfully, the decision has been revisited and there will be live music at the tournament.

This is the way that music programs around our state will start taking a hit. Something small here and there can develop into something much bigger. With the introduction of the Iowa Core Curriculum coming in the next several years, it is important to remember the roll that arts education plays in the development of well-rounded individuals. This education is a critical component in learning higher order thinking skills, as well as an ability to work with and relate to others.

Keep supporting the arts and all educational opportunities for Iowa students!