Friday, June 8, 2012

Music is a gift. Open the box!

My poor neglected blog! I really just need to blow the dust off and start posting in here again. My travel agent endeavours have kind of taken over these days. The exciting news is that I am working with a local piano teacher and we are developing some fun classes to pitch to one of the local rec centres. I am really hoping this will go through as it will be a new and fun experience teaching group classes! Time to stretch myself a little bit, I guess! Anyway, my post today is about the gift of music. So often we hear that people are "gifted" or "have the gift" of music. I maintain that every single one of us has been given music as a gift. Sure, we may not all be concert singers, or even really comfortable with singing anywhere outside of the shower, but that does not mean that music cannot bless us daily, or that we should not explore and revel in the gift that is music. It saddens me to see the school system in Canada being so quick to pitch out programs which are arts related. Particularly since science has shown that musical instruction teaches children so much more than we might imagine. Music is art, but it is also math. It is also following the rules and taking one's "turn". It is teamwork. It is reading and language skills. It is a world of imagination and magic and fun and it can also be very hard work which requires and teaches discipline. So, if you do not spend time singing and dancing with your children at home, think about it. You may be doing them more good than you could ever have thought.

4 comments:

  1. Barbara... what an awesome post!! I wish I was musically inclined... I even screw up chop sticks... but my husband and daughter... Well I thank God every day for their musical abilities!! Here's to you succeeding at the Rec Center!!

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    1. Thanks, Carla! It's a new adventure for me after teaching private voice lessons, but should be a lot of fun. :)

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  2. Music is such a gift! I, too, am sad to see schools continue to cut music and other art programs. Creativity and artistic expression are valuable skills, sad that it is not highly prized in our educational system, as it should be.

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  3. my whole family is so musically gifted and I too, enjoy guitar and a little singing but what a gift! you are so blessed. that's great that you have succeeded at the rec center. take care!

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