This Friday, approximately fifty percent of you will be mourning the departure of one Commander in Chief, while the remaining fifty percent will be celebrating the arrival of the other. Either way, all 100% of us should be celebrating music education and the role that it plays in Friday's inaugural events and our countries history.
Yes, that's right, in just over seventy-two hours our nation's capital will be filled with not just pomp & circumstance, but MUSIC, as we welcome our nations' 45th president. With this momentous event comes an unique opportunity to talk with your students about the history of music education and the important role it has in history and national culture.
In three days, on the eastern front of the Capital Building, there will be no sports teams competing. You won't see America's best mathematicians solving quadratic equations. You won't find our best scientists debating issues of the day. What will you see and HEAR in abundance? MUSIC!
During this national celebration you will hear the herald trumpets sound, see the choirs sing, and experience the President's Own usher in a new era of leadership with Hail to the Chief.
After the swearing in ceremony, our country will celebrate, with music, offerings from marching bands, performing/recording artists, and eight separate music filled galas.
Yes, on this most important of occassions, music will be front and center as a core component to our nation's grandest of events, the Inauguration of the President of the United States. While others bemoun the state of the arts, I say we celebrate it! But how...
As a way of honoring this very important day, perhaps we treat it in a special way. For one day, perhaps we seize this teachable moment to give our students a little perspective about this activity and the role it plays in our society. Yes, I am suggesting that on one day every four years we break the golden rule of classroom management to "play less and talk more."
What should we talk about? How about:
- The history of the President's Own
- The history of music education in our country
- 10 fun facts about John Phillip Sousa
- How to play in tune in REALLY cold weather
- History of the Star Spangled Banner
- Why and when we play Hail to the Chief
- How to audition for a military band
- Origination and history of the marching band
Talk about the spirit of music and how it moves people. Talk about how music has been around since man itself. Talk about how music has affected you and your life. Talk about how every significant moment in our country's history has been marked by song. Just for one day, TALK more and play less.
The Da Capo to this tune isn't coming back for four more years, so on Friday, perhaps we might be educators of music more so than music educators.
Just a thought. Have a GREAT week everyone.