Our students deserve nothing but the very best education so they have every opportunity to become the very best citizens they can be!

Right now there is an acheivement gap problem in our public schools, not just a gap between racial groups, but a gap between student average and state standard. We want our students to perform better, but our strategy of focusing on core subjects at the expense of the arts is not returning results.

Music education has been proven, with over 35 years of studies, to improve cognative and social function. Students in band score and average of 13% higher on assessments than non-band students do, and they have an average GPA almost a full point higher than the total average. Clearly music education is beneficial to a student's acheivement and I would argue that it is conducive to the formation of a well-rounded person.

A good music education benefits the school, the student and eventually the society. It is an endeavor worthy of our attention and investment and the returns are not only great, but they are proven.

Music education is so important, and our children, in this land of opportunity, deserve nothing less than the very best.