I love piano music especially and I am actually annoyed when I hear that a school wants to cut art and music from it's budget!  Some people look at art and music as a nice extra but not something their children HAVE to learn.  However I think art and music and dancing and all of those creative things really help a child in many ways.  Even if the child doesn't become a rock star, the musical background can help them be more well rounded as a person and appreciate more than just the latest hits on the radio.

An art background can really help a kids creativity!  Name one job that does not use creativity?  I bet you can't!  Arts teach you to think outside the box in a way that math and science never could.  I'm lucky to have gone to a private school where art was highly encouraged.  We were required to take 1-2 fine arts and an applied art, I took more :)

To sum up my whole rant here, I just hate when people think art and music is not important! Some people think that if they encourage art too much their kid will become a starving artist, but that is just not the case!  I have friends from HS that did go into acting, art, and music as a career, but I also have many who went into many other fields and use their skills learned from art.

It is really ashame schools would want to cut art, music, and dance out of the curriculum. I think art, music, dance, etc are very good and helpful to kids. It teaches them to be creative. It makes me mad people want to cut these programs or classes out of the schools.

When I was in HS, I took MANY art and other creative classes. I love art and music. I've never played the piano, but I have a great appreication for the music. After studying computers in college, I went to an art college to study fashion designing. The art classes I took in HS and college have stayed with me to this day. I have a love of drawing and painting and it is because art was available in my HS.

I say keep art, music, dance, and other creativity programs in school. It is not just a fun class to take, but it will enrich and teach kids many things.

I also think it's a shame that the arts are moving farther and farther down the list. Our schools are struggling just to pay for the high gas prices. We had a wonderful museum featuring life for families who worked in the cotton mills a block away from our Elementary School, and they have programs for each grade each year, but this year they have talked of cutting some of the programs because they are limiting field trips (even though the kids can WALK to this one).

I guess that means that we may need to reach out to offer our own volunteer hours to the schools. Perhaps we have something to offer. Many kids' ONLY exposure to certain forms of art will be in school.

We do not even have a movie theater in our town, but we DO have plays. The high school drama team does productions, and we try to support that as well. We used to have something called "Symphony in the Park" for the 4th of July, but I don't think they've had that for a few years. It seemed like it rained more often than not on the 4th.

I got tickled the other day when I turned on the radio in the car. The kids said "Oh, that is Little Einsteins music!" (a kid show about famous musical pieces) I didn't argue but just smiled and enjoyed the music with the kids.

The rising costs (as mentioned above) really do make it harder on struggling families like my own.

I agree that it is a shame that schools are seeing fit to dump creative arts and music courses.  At the very least, they should offer some sort of music and art appreciation course.  We may not all end up being famous composers or artists but listening to favorite music can transport us to an upper plane.  (My definition of "classics" is diverse, including not only the Three B's and other traditional classic composers but also the best of Gershwin, Bernstein, etc.)  I love to turn the lights out in my living room, plug in my "ears" and listen to Horst's "The Planets".  I must say that the great composers, wherever they are, owe Hollywood and the film industry a debt (AND VICE VERSA).  "Didn't I hear that in a movie?" is probably what a lot of people think now when they hear a famous piece.  "The Planets" music has been used in many films and wherever Beethoven is today, I hope they let him watch "Die Hard" which just wouldn't have been the same without his triumphant contribution.

One thing I'm bad about is identifying music I like.  I know Beethoven when I hear him but I often will not be able to pinpoint exactly what movement of what work it is, etc.  BUT I still know what I like, I just can't always tell you what it is!

I spent eight years learning to play the piano.  I was playing classical stuff well enough to get enjoyment out of it by the time I was in the eighth grade but I've got to say that I don't hold out much hope for the piano continuing to receive the appreciation it should because this instrument is BIG.  Despite those eight years of study, I have never ever had room for a piano in all the years I lived in my own home and today I can't remember where Middle C is and my interests have gone on to other things.  

By no means do I recommend that people not bother to study the piano!  It once brought me a lot of joy and I believe did polish me up generally speaking.  I have always felt that all that piano playing gave me an "edge" when it came to learning to type later on.  And really I think if people like me could have a piano which they could play on regularly -- even if it was in a private room which you could rent by the hour somewhere -- learning to play would be a great investment.  It is also true that many people DO have room for a piano to be part of their lives especially in this day and age of the "McMansion".  I guess what I feel wistful about is that I didn't learn to play something smaller and more portable, like a violin.  We have a very active floutist (isn't that what you call someone who plays the flute?) in our neighborhood and it is sometimes a real treat to pass this person's window in the evening and hear the joyful glory of his (or her) instrument. 

I think a lot of people would appreciate classical music more if they had more chances to take in "live" performances.  Alas, this can be very expensive.  I attended a performance of our famous Chicago Symphony Orchestra a few years ago and enjoyed it very much but my so-so seat cost nearly $100!  It stands to reason that it would cost that much because each person in the orchestra has to be paid hopefully a good salary plus there are other expenses too.  So I'm not complaining, I'm just saying that this has tended to shove Classical music into an "Elitist" ghetto which is unfair to this art form.

One more thing -- and then I'll stop -- we should remember that schools are dumping a lot of good things today.  I am surprised that creative arts are hitting the deck but I have been concerned for a long time that a lot of kids today are getting only one or two days a week -- or nothing at all -- of physical education.  I had mixed feelings about "gym" when I was in high school but I certainly never doubted the health benefits of it.  Just as learning to play the piano was important in its own way, so were the hours spent kicking a ball along in soccer or nearly killing my instructor in archery class.  I am not much of an athlete but what I learned in gym class still contributed to what I am today.

OKAY, I THOUGHT I WAS DONE BUT ....

One more thing which concerns me is that with the state of the economy the way it is, some parents may dump their kids' music lessons.  Even though the piano is an instrument which takes up a lot of room, a lot of young students today are going to have access to a keyboard all their lives.  (The compact electronic keyboards may give hope for us all.)  Music lessons may seem like a luxury when money is tight but the blessings they bestow upon an student who takes it all seriously are worth the investment.

 

   Arts, and I mean all arts, visual, performing, musical and otherwise, are a necessary part of our very Being. Keeping in touch with the creative part of our mind helps us come back to our center. Even to those who don't practice arts regularly. The best way for me to become calm is to get into with the artist in me. And becoming calm is the best way to get clarity. That's where many great ideas come from, clarity.

   So I think arts should be a very integral part of our society. Cutting the arts from our schools just might make it enough for me to decide to home school my child because I very much intend for him to learn about the arts.

Anna I took piano lessons for a few years and I always wanted to learn very difficult stuff.  So my mom gave me the piano she had for us when I moved out.  sadly it is in the basement (in bad need of a tune) and while i still remember how to play it's hard to get motivated to focus on something like that once real life kicks in.

That's why I think learning the skill as a kid is very important, b/c then you are more likely to grow up and still play! 

I agree 100%.  I think that we can probably learn and relearn as we grow older but there is an ideal window of opportunity that comes into a young person's life when he or she has the enthusiasm and precious inborn confidence to learn how to do certain things.  Language and reading skills, playing musical instruments, trying out different kinds of sports.  A child should have a chance to spread his or her wings before too much fear, anxiety and self-consciousness set in. 

Just think what life would be like if a person waited until he or she was 16 before learning to WALK!  How scary that would be for that person!

Well, this was a great thread, I must admit.

 

Want to discover the artist with in you? This_art_book can help, even for those who don't think they can. Give it a try! The creator with in you is not lost! ;o) . . . And these are the best supplies to start you off!

     I''ve really enjoyed your comments.  I hope Suzi's basement isn't too damp 'cause that might cause real tuning problems later on.  And... I never knew that Cuz Annabanana took piano lessons!  Anna might someday be interested in an electronic piano -- keys balanced for finger pressure, several piano sounds (sometimes organ, harpsichord and a few other instrumental possibilities, too) and no tuning needed ever.
     I lament the fact that piano lessons are less available to middle-class people in this economy.  When my mom was very, very little, an itinerant music teacher used to come to her house and teach all five kids in exchange for a room for the night and meals.  Them was the good old days!
     How many of you or your friends play music in the car when you're taking your kids to school or meetings?  Katrena's remark about "Little Einstein" recognition was right on.  Kids soak up culture so willingly.  Many later recognize classical music from the cartoons and movies they've seen. 
     No one has to pay Mozart or Beethoven royalties, so we're all apt to hear more classical music than we realize.  I enjoy discovering classics in commercials, too.  (That's the only thing I do enjoy about commercials, actually.)
     Are there any adults out there currently taking some kind of instrumental lessons?

Here's something else I remember about the old days.

After my Mom died, my Dad and I moved into a apartment which didn't have room for a piano.  So not only did the grade school provide a piano teacher (I think lessons were $3 an hour after school) but they also gave me unlimited practice time on the grand piano in our school auditorium at no cost.  Believe it or not, the school was almost never locked and I could come in any time during the late afternoon, early evenings, or even on weekends to practice.  There were times when I was the only person in the entire building, just practicing away -- nothing to feel self-conscious about and nobody kept track of the time I spent there. 

What a sign of our changing times -- it would be much too dangerous for a child to do that today or for a school to leave doors unlocked when no one was there.  I guess the point I'm making is that, even though I don't like some of the ways the schools themselves have changed, I have to realize that society has changed too.

 

 

     You must have liked to practice, AnnaB.  Most kids need a firm hand with scheduling practice as they do other activities.  The hardest part is sitting down and getting started.

It was so nice and quiet and peaceful.  However, performing at recitals was very difficult for me.  I couldn't have "hacked" it as a musician, that's for sure, and I really respect those people who are able to perform for an audience.

 

As a child, I studied piano.  At an early age learned to play the Classical ones--
Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, etc.as assigned.  Yes, despite many chores to do after
school, I efficiently did school home work in addition to a couple hrs of playing.  Thus, went to few sports events---as a 24 hr day was too short.  At this point I do not exactly recall the age I was for playing for my first church wedding---definitely not through high school.  Later, practiced organ & played publicly.  Mozart is probably my favorite, but really have a most enjoyable CD collection which really is utilized while doing household chores!     In this local area, there is a music school, very active art council, and performing arts, as well.
Cats DO LOVE classical music!!

I love all arts, but I've never dabbled in learning musical arts except for my first year in middle school where I played the alto sax in band. The musical instrument I've always wanted to learn, though, is the harp. . . I Lyon and Healy Prelude Lever Harp, to be specific. I hope to own and get lessons on one someday!

     What an interesting comment of Meowmom's: that cats love classical music.  My current cat Vivo plays impressionistic music early in the morning.  My late big male cat used to greet my students by jumping up on the piano bench before they could sit down.  Since he attended all the lessons, I guess he enjoyed it.  (Though he always nipped me -- and only me -- when I sang.)
     cmohr80!  Prepare your van or panel truck and get ready to tune, tune, tune that harp.  Hope you follow through on your dream someday.  How do you feel about Celtic harp?

Years ago, I bought a CD of holiday music--Celtic harp with a Pan Flute--rather
unique selections on it. 

I don't know about a Celtic harp . . .  I like Celtic music a little, but I'd like to play classical music on one . . . I want a free standing one, not a lap one. It's just always been a dream of mine since the age of 4, when I saw the episode of I Love Lucy, when Harpo played "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" on one. I'd never heard that song played so beautifully and I fell in love with the harp ever since! To me, there's no more beautiful sounding instrument than the harp!

For all you piano players who don't have room for a "real" piano, there are lots of electronic keyboards out there that are much smaller than old-fashioned furniture-style pianos. Many of these keyboards have realistic piano sounds (as well as other sounds) and some even have the touch-and-feel of a piano. If you don't have room for an 88-key instrument, there are 61- and 76-key versions. Don't put off the pleasure of playing because you can't fit or afford a real piano.

I can bang out chords on a piano and hold a beat on a drum kit, but I mostly play guitar. You can get a perfectly decent acoustic guitar for $400 and a very good one for $800, and it takes up a lot less room than a piano. Easier to move, too. Everyone should play something...

Here's a video of me performing a couple songs at a local open mike a couple years ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNgZfZh1q_A

--Bob

     Bkovacs is right.  If only the opportunity were there, "Everyone should play something..."  One thing that intrigues me about many professional authors, artists, musicians, etc. is that they knew from a very early age what they wanted to do.  Guess my point is that early oppportunity is really significant.
     It wasn't that long ago that there were pianos or other instruments in almost every classroom.  AND, teachers who knew how to play them.  Now we depend on the "kindness of strangers" -- hobbyists or pros who go into the classroom and introduce their art.
     Has anyone out there done that?  Have we any teachers in our network who actively promote music/art etc. in their classrooms on a regular basis?

All I can say, TunefulGal, is that they are letting me sit here playing chopsticks on my electronic keyboard at the Comfort Inn while I wait for you guys to pick me up!

HAHA, I COULDN'T RESIST!

 

     Oh, oh...  I might be a while.
     Well, at least it isn't Fur Elise.

No, "Fur Elise" was what I played at my seventh-grade recital.  My swan song before I slipped away from the stage into merciful obscurity was the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata in the eighth-grade. 

Every year, the folks at Carnegie Hall pay me a million dollars NOT TO PERFORM THERE!

HA!

"Anitra's Dance" by Grieg was another hit (and run!) of my brilliant career. 

Listen, just be glad I don't remember where Middle C is!  Count your blessings!

 

I did not read anywhere in this discussion that the study of music goes hand in hand with the study of math.  It is a fact that students that study music do better in their math courses of study.  Our little town in Connecticut had ALL third graders start to learn music on recorders.  They are cheap and inexpensive.  By the fourth grade the students had been exposed to music and knew if they had an aptitude for it.  Fourth grade band was created out of third grade recorder students!

I am lucky to live in the Northeast where a value is still placed on arts and history.  Many of the old theaters are being restored and free concerts given by budding musicians.  Town squares still offer free concerts during the summer and music is still in the air.

Music is one of those things that last a lifetime.

I remember playing the recorder in 4th grade, and then moving on to clarinet in 5th.  Even though I was never much good at it, the practice taught me discipline and caring for my instrument taught me responsibility.  My fondest musical memories, though, are of my mother playing Malaguena (and yes, Fur Elise) on the piano in our dining room. My mother's love of classical music was contagious  :)

Classical music is contagious. Lately, my husband and I have been using the Sirius Classical channels to enduce sleep and the music is so calming and enjoyable that it's been working!

I totally see that the results of those studies of how music can effect your moods are true.

Mozart CDs, indeed, are utilized in nursing centers --with very posiitive effects on
those individuals with cognitive/memory issues especially.  A calm influence to the entire environment.  Naturally, the volume is kept to an appropriate, or ambient level.

     Volume levels brings up two issues:
     1 - acoustic sound and amplified sound. 
     Actors and opera and musical comedy/drama singers have always been trained to project their voices in theaters without amplification.  Today, many have packs taped to their backs and microphones curving around their faces.  Not only is this amplification generally unnecessary (unless audience members have been partially deafened by rock concerts or singers have teeny voices), its equipment is distracting and unattractive.  Since I'd like to keep my good hearing, I always travel with earplugs.  (I even wear them when I do vacuuming!)
     2 - The relationship between highly-amplified sound (generally rock, but not always) and a potential for violence. 
     Certainly the human heart-rate is altered by the speed, volume, and general excitement level of music.  (Meowmom's and cmohr80's comments are positive comments in this regard.)  I'm thinking there is evidence that the brain is also changed, perhaps permanently by constant exposure to fever-pitched music.
     I'd be interested in further fact-based information on this. 

Meri!  I find your comments encouraging and inspiring.  Do you think the economy is going to have any effect on the musical activities you described?  This is a time when we all need the solace of fine arts, so I hope your programs can carry on.