I grew up in the small town of Linton, IN. It has about 5,000 people, and while I was in school, the music program was a priority. I graduated in 2015, a year after band director, Mike Puckett, left his position. Since then, the school corporation has put all of their music programs on the back burner. The most current issue is the elementary school has gotten rid of their music program for the 2021-2022 school year. They do not even have a music teacher. 

This issue is important to me because I am a musician and music business professional now in Nashville, TN. Without having music classes in elementary and beyond, I would have never been able to make it here or engage in my desired profession. Music was a life saver for me in my youth because it helped me deal with feeling like an outcast and the issues of every day life. I know there are other kids that feel the same way. 

Music is important to the community because it brings people together, especially in times like the past couple of years. Music is also important because it has a direct correlation to children’s ability to communicate with their peers and how they do in other important subjects like math and English. The standardized test scores prove this. Music, and the arts, should be seen as essential in public schools. Some kids, myself included, would not be able to function without them.