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Since 1985, March has been officially designated Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM). Who designated it as such? The MENC, The National Association for Music Education is the group responsible for heightening the awareness of the importance of music in our schools. It is a time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation. How many of us recall learning some special concept, some stick in your head little ditty with music as the foundation, and we still cannot get it out of our mind? For that very reason bringing more attention to music in our schools is necessary and vital to the success of our youth of today. It is horrible to even think about the budget cuts in our public schools. The very ones that actually took music away from the elementary school my daughter attends for almost one month in 2008. As an educator I was furious that my second grade child was not going to receive instruction in music at all during her school year. Obviously I was not the only one infuriated, and the school managed to find a music teacher to give them once a week instruction. This is all a very sad reflection on the priorities, or lack thereof, that our public school systems sometime place on the arts. The efforts of a month long event such as Music In Our Schools will heighten the awareness of and commitment to the children of this United States of America and their exposure to music of all styles, cultures, and genres. MIOSM began as a single statewide celebration in 1973. It then grew over the decades to encompass more time and more states. In 1985 it became a month long celebration of school music. The purpose is to remind citizens that school is where all children should have access to music because many homes do not even listen to a radio, a CD player or a digital media file of any music styles! MIOSM provides music teachers the chance to bring their music programs to the attention of their schools and their communities while being able to display the benefits school music brings to students of all ages. The acronym for MENC does not match the true name of the organization. They were originally called Music Supervisors National Conference and then Music Educators National Conference which is what MENC stands for. Then, to confuse things just a bit, their National Executive Board voted to change their name to MENC, The National Association for Music Education to better reflect their mission. Whew! Now I am confused too! Either way, MENC is the sponsor of MIOSM, and for those of us who have children in public schools we should be thankful for this organization of dedicated members and supporters. Personally, I love using music to learn new things as an adult! It helps my tired and very full brain grasp something new and try to fit it into the brain connection pathways. For children, many of us have the thrill to witness young people learning and remembering with music day in and day out without even realizing they are learning. Ah, to be young again! So when you pick your child up today from school or spend some quality teaching time with a special group of young children, use music to make the learning happen fast and forever! Play a musical song to introduce a new language, put the multiplication facts to a beat, or add a little rhythm fun to your studying of grammar rules. Music, just imagine! The theme of Music In Our Schools this year.
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