An die Freude...

Joy, o wondrous spark divine,
Daughter of Elysium,
Drunk with fire now we enter,
Heavenly one, your holy shrine.
Your magic powers join again
What fashion strictly did divide;
Brotherhood unites all men
Where your gentle wing's spread wide.

Embrace each other now, you millions!
The kiss is for the whole wide world!
Brothers - over the starry firmament
A beloved Father must surely dwell.
Do you come crashing down, you millions?
Do you sense the Creators presence, world?
Seek Him above the starry firmament,
For above the stars he surely dwells.

-Friedrich Schiller
(Text sung by chorus during the fourth movement
of Beethoven's 9th symphony)

My NAU choir is performing Beethoven's 9th Symphony tomorrow night. It is by far the hardest thing I have ever sung, with the soprano tessitura (range) gravitating around a high A above the staff. Rehearsals have been exhausting, but it is completely worth the experience. It is a monumental work and the message it sends of joy and brotherhood through both text and music is unforgettable. Tonight during our dress rehearsal, chills ran throughout my body and tears came to my eyes. I was reminded once again why I am studying music.
Music has a power that few other disciplines can boast. There are works that make me cry and songs that make me laugh. And yet, music is in constant danger within our education systems. I don't know how many of you are aware, but RIFs have been sent throughout the state, threatening many of the "specials" teachers jobs(art, PE, music, librarians, etc). Nothing has been decided and many of these teachers will be hired back, but this is just another example of a battle that has been going on for years. Music is constantly being threatened within our schools. In replace of music we now have standardized tests....Don't even get me started on those. In the days of esteemed philosophers, such as Aristotle, the three most important subjects were Physical Education (for the body), Philosophy (for the mind), and Music (for the soul). No wonder the souls of many people today are so debilitated and distorted. Art has become only a thing of entertainment and has lost the respect it once held. People have forgotten what truly defines our humanity, and that music is part of what makes us human. Without it, we would become a society of emotionless robots. When was the last time a science experiment or math problem made you cry? Made you so filled with joy that you found hope to go on existing? If you actually had an answer to either of those you are a rare breed. Now think of the last time a song made your heart break, or completely transformed your mood, or made you want to make a difference in the world. Think of your answers to these questions and then ponder on the fact that math and science are considered core curricular subjects, while music is still just an elective or a special. I just do not see the logic behind this. While I am not trying to degrade math or science in any way, I am trying to show that music is just as important to the curriculum and should be considered one of the core subjects.
When I started this post I had something completely different in mind to say, but I don't regret the way it turned out. I will be honest and confess that I am scared to enter a profession that is in the midst of a battlefield. I will probably spend the rest of my life having to defend music education, constantly battling against administrators and government officials. But then I am always reminded, as I was tonight while wailing out high A's :), that this is a battle worth fighting for. Please don't let music get cut from our schools- talk to administrators, write letters to the legislature, let our state know that these "specials" are vital to our children's education. I know many of you have young kids and it makes me sad to think that by the time the enter school they will enter a world of standards, stress, tests, and competition. As our schools continue to take away the arts, they will slowly disappear from our society until we have forgotten who we once were. Beauty, expression, and emotion will become ideas of the past. Don't let our country forget its humanity...