While the majority of public school program and funding decisions are dictated by federal and state mandates the area in which local education and community leaders have enormous influence and decision making power is with extracurricular activities, such as sports, music and the arts. You can get a fairly good idea of what a local […]
Music Education and Community Economic Development Read More »
One of the most important and powerful benefits of music is its capacity to build communities, both large and small, that can last a lifetime. I was recently reminded of that capacity by a television commercial. The opening scene shows four middle-aged men, instrument cases in hand, greeting each other. After a cutaway to a
Building Lifelong Communities Both Large and Small Through Music Read More »
University of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh raised some eyebrows recently when he recommended that football players not concentrate on football year-round but rather to play soccer for a portion of the year. Every parent of every athlete in America should think about his suggestion. One of the more troubling and counter-productive developments in youth
Youth Sport Specialization: A Terrible Idea Read More »
Picture this. A magnified image of a cross section of the human brain. The image shows hundreds of tiny brownish bits. These bits are toxic proteins, called tau, that form after brain trauma. Tau can inhibit cellular functions in the brain, leading to depression, dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease)
Brain on Football vs. Brain on Music Read More »
We’ve all witnessed those youth sport ceremonies where every participant receives a trophy. While most consider them to be a fairly harmless way to offer a child some encouragement and provide a sense of accomplishment, there are a considerable number of critics who deride the practice. They argue that recognizing children for mere participation encourages
Participation Trophies for All and the Ruination of Our Youth? Chill Out! Read More »
Our band recently performed a gig during which I sweated as much as in any basketball game. It was the end of one of those early spring days when an unseasonable warm front moves through and the temperature explodes to summer-like levels. It was still too early in the season for restaurants and bars to
In Search of the Shared Music or Athletic Experience Read More »
In 1989, NIKE started an ad campaign for cross training footwear featuring Bo Jackson, a former Heisman Trophy winner and the only man to be an All-Star in baseball and All-Pro in football. The ad featured stars in various sports proclaiming that “Bo knows” whichever sport, whether baseball, football, hockey or golf, was featured in
Bo Knows Head Trauma Read More »
Last year, I wrote that the word “bandwork” should be recognized as an “official” word and thus included in Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. The purpose behind my proposal relates to the issue of music advocacy as it applies to school funding of music programs. It’s important that we recognize and use bandwork as an “official”
The Campaign for “Bandwork”: It’s Now Personal Read More »
Each year, the NFL goes about the business of drafting college players. Before draft day, players attend the NFL “combine” in Indianapolis where they are measured poked, interviewed and tested. This all leads to the draft itself when a large chunk of the sports world follows with intense interest, which teams select which players. Media
America’s Reassessment of Football: Another Brick in the Wall Read More »
PUBLISHED ORIGINALLY ONLINE at LancasterOnline.com / June 18, 2017 The first words our first child heard were my wife’s. In the middle of a C-section, she called out, “Get a chair! My husband’s goin’ down!” After regaining my senses, I was able to shake off this utter failure in my first test of fatherhood because
Every Day is Father’s Day Read More »
