Abstract
As you watch students walk into your school or stroll across the campus mall, have you noticed how connected they are to the Internet world? There they are, with earpieces of every kind, in every color, staring into small, handheld screens, dancing with a tablet, or texting with thumb speeds as fast as we hope they play their scales. We are in an extraordinary age—one that moves more rapidly than we ever imagined possible, a time when change occurs almost instantly with the announcement of “breaking news.” This is the environment in which we teach: a universe of fast, ever-changing technologies that impact the heart and soul of all our students.
What is truly remarkable is that our discipline, the study and making of music by all, is at the very center of most students’ day-to-day lives. Not only will it affect them during their school days, but it also extends far beyond the time they spend with us to a way of lifelong enjoyment of the music we work so hard to bring to their daily existence. We’ve been entrusted with a duty and a responsibility to help elevate their lives through the power of music. The social impact of our art form has never been more significant.
In today’s demographically changing environment, your National Association for Music Education is dedicated to working with you to make sure that all students have the opportunity to study and make music and to enjoy a musically literate life. The new voluntary music standards sum up our task in four keywords: creating, performing, responding, and connecting. As we go to press, we are making the case for a broader-minded approach to our students’ curriculum—one in which music plays a core role. Congress will debate and state legislatures and educational agencies will ultimately choose to implement music as a core component of a balanced curriculum. The significance of these actions cannot be overstated.
Please join with us in making music, prekindergarten through graduate school and beyond, a central unifying core in the life of every student we meet. Some will no doubt choose a musical career; others will choose a wide variety of professions enhanced by the study and knowledge they received in achieving music literacy. In every case, the power of music will be felt throughout their life. Register now for the
As we watch our students’ connection to the Internet of everything, let’s make sure that we connect them to the phenomenal power of music, orchestrating their success through the music education we provide.
