This is from a concerned band Mother, and would like for me to share this with you. Just another example of our crumbling school district. This is about the importance of music in school and why it is not only an art but it is also a PE credit and it teaches discipline. Success is something we all strive for. Any music teacher or parent of a music student can call to mind anecdotes about effectiveness of music study in helping children become better students. Skills learned through the discipline of music, these stories commonly point out, transfer to study skills, communication skills, and cognitive skills useful in every part of the curriculum. Another common variety of story emphasizes the way that the discipline of music study – particularly through participation in ensembles – when ONE teacher can make ONE HUNDRED students work together in a perfect harmony and rhythm – it is the ULTIMATE teamwork effort. Sports coaches yell, cuss, throw things and it is okay. But how does that open a child’s mind? Did you know that children that are in a music class do 25% higher grades in proportional math and fractions than non-music students? (According to Graziano, Amy, Matthew Peterson, and Gordon Shaw, “Enhanced learning of proportional math through music training and spatial-temporal training.” Neurological Research 21 (March 1999).) If you want your child to get accepted into a prestigious university or college, band will help because students with coursework/experience in music performance and music appreciation scored higher on the SAT: students in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal and 41 points higher on the math, and students in music appreciation scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on the math, than did students with no arts participation. (According to College-Bound Seniors National Report: Profile of SAT Program Test Takers. Princeton, NJ: The College Entrance Examination Board, 2001.) Music know no social barriers or color barriers because in a study of 811 high school students indicated that the proportion of minority students with a music teacher role-model was significantly larger than for any other discipline. 36% of these students identified music teachers as their role models, as opposed to 28% English teachers, 11% elementary teachers, 7% physical education/sports teachers, 1% principals. (According to D.L. Hamann and L.M. Walker, “Music teachers as role models for African-American students,” Journal of Research in Music Education, 41, 1993.) Music opens the mind. Do not let LISD ruin a wonderful program… it isn’t about the marching at the football games and it isn’t about the contest when the day is done… that is the fun part, that is the discipline part… that is the CHARACTER BUILDING part…