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Hard to rebuild music program once it’s cut

Posted 3/28/11

To the Editor: Eliminating another music position from Potsdam Central School will not solve the district’s problems either in the short nor the long run, and I hope that those responsible for …

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Hard to rebuild music program once it’s cut

Posted

To the Editor:

Eliminating another music position from Potsdam Central School will not solve the district’s problems either in the short nor the long run, and I hope that those responsible for handling school spending plans opt to preserve the program as it stands.

I’ve seen this situation develop in other states, so it’s nothing new, but I sure hope the powers that be will not make the same mistakes as have been made elsewhere.

My wife and I moved to the North Country almost six years ago. I am a semi-retired professional horn player and music educator, and have taught and/or performed professionally in California, Oregon, Nevada, Capetown (South Africa) and have substitute taught music in the Potsdam Central School District. Some of my experience teaching was spent repairing damage from decisions like the one currently up for debate in the Potsdam Central School District.

Let me tell you the outcome of cutting arts programs:

• Loss of strong mentor for children. This is not to be underestimated. It has been observed that when a person finds a clear interest, inspiration or passion (such as music in its myriad disciplines), then the rest of the education takes care of itself.

• Loss or lessening of a cooperative social organization. Band, orchestra, choir, small groups, etc. provide training and experiences without parallel in the training of young minds. Sports is also great, but different, and well-rounded individuals partake of both (this is not an either/or situation).

• The spreading of the same amount of responsibility to fewer people never works. It just burns out the people involved eventually.

• Loss or lessening of the quality of life in a community, as well as for families.

• More children with less inspiration; a formula for dullness.

It is costly in time, dedication and money to rebuild programs like the ones we have in the North Country once they are lost. I personally have taught students who avoided hard time because they spent time in choir or band. It’s not even about the winning top marks at festival (although that’s nice too), it is about the growth our children enjoy when pressed to do their best instead of settling and doing it with people they come to know and trust for the rest of their lives.

I know this sounds too extreme to be true, but I’ve been there. Two colleagues and I built back up an elementary/middle school band program in California (3 teachers for 15 schools) that had been all but  eliminated. It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t world class, but it was sure worth it when we saw the results in kid’s lives. If you called, me I could tell you names and places.

We enjoy the benefits of excellent music education (as well as other subjects) here in northern New York more ways than can be measured. I have worked personally with and around the music teachers in our area, and their jobs are not easy, although doable, and they do an excellent job day after day. The elimination of even one more position is a mistake we don’t want to make.

Jim Christensen

Potsdam