Math Awareness Month.  Reading Awareness Month.  Science and Technology Awareness Month.  Music in Our Schools Month.  It’s not like we don’t know that all of these subjects are taught in our public schools, right?  Or are they?

There are certain subjects in this country, at this time, that are considered to be, for lack of a better word “core”.  Reading, math and science are subjects deemed necessary for children to grow up and be productive citizens.  They’re the foundation for all other learning.  I’ve been told many times that in reading, and the areas of fluency, comprehension and vocabulary are essential to learn every other subject.  I am an absolute believer that reading is essential.  But that doesn’t mean that everything else is not essential.  There is more to a human being than being able to decode symbols to write and speak language.  In a world before written language, human beings were creating something different.  We were creating music.

Why?  I believe humans were created with the organic ability and desire to create, perform, respond and connect to and through music.  If my belief is true, why teach music in our schools if music is innate?  Why is it necessary?  

Most of us are born with the ability to do many things; walk, talk, eat, drink, sleep. We don’t stop teaching people how to refine these things just because we are born with these abilities.  Babies wriggle, roll over, crawl, pull themselves up, walk and run but we don’t stop there.  They coo and imitate sounds to speak words that identify objects, tie words together to create sentences, but we don’t stop there.  We take these and continue their progress in schools, through PE for motor skills and reading/writing for communication.  Music is no different.  Children naturally create songs and dances, play on pots and pans or whatever else they can find.  It’s no different from early people who took things they found in nature to create instruments.  It’s a part of what makes us human, and just like everything else humans are capable of doing, it’s important to make it an equal part of the education of the whole child. 

So, if all of this is true, why have a music in our schools month?  Because for some reason, there are those who believe music is fluff or entertainment, but certainly not academic.  Some believe music teachers who advocate for music education are merely advocating for their own jobs.  That music teachers are only there to give other teachers a plan time.  Because when the funds get low, the first things to go are the arts.  

Over the next 31 days, the goal is to write about the importance of Music in Our Schools Month, to share stories of why music is not only important, but essential in the lives of every child.  Who am I kidding;  it’s important in the lives of every human being.  Every day this month, let’s discover how and why music should be important to all of us.