Having grown up with music as a vital part of my everyday life, I don't think I could go a day without my iPod, the CD player in my truck or my laptop – no joke, my iTunes library could play for nearly nine days straight without repeating a single song. And considering I grew up in the generation between cassettes and mp3s, my CD collection is beyond immaculate. I haven't counted recently, but I'm fairly certain I have close to 750 albums. Needless to say, music has always been a huge part of my life, as I can recall my brother and I spending hours upon hours listening to 45s on my parent's turntable at a very young age. "Splish Splash" by Bobby Darin "Peggy Sue" by Buddy Holly and "Honey" by Bobby Goldsboro were a few of my favorites.
It's because of this particular love that I acquired for music at a young age that I decided to join band when I was in junior high. Though I never had piano lessons as a kid and had never touched an instrument in my life, I was intrigued when all of my friends started taking lessons for their respective instruments. Not one to always go with the crowd, I figured this was something that my parents would actually approve of me doing. So I signed up for lessons. Originally intending to play either the flute or clarinet, the woodwinds didn't work out for me. After working with my band director to find a better fit, I started playing percussion, which I did until my sophomore year of high school when my studies became a higher priority. It was a great experience that I wouldn't trade for anything.
Regardless of the fact that I didn't stick with it, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about music and understanding the different notes. My brother, on the other hand took a different approach to music, teaching himself how to play guitar and, eventually, attending what is now the McNally Smith College of Music in Minneapolis. He has since made running sound for a couple small-town bands his second job, which, ironically, he loves more than his primary source of income. So when I see a school like Independence having to cut back in areas like music, it pains me. There are so many kids out there who are musically inclined and they're not going to have the opportunity to show off those abilities.
In essence, these kids will end up being punished due to budgetary constraints, something which they, more than likely, cannot even comprehend at this point in their lives. While I understand that something needs to take a hit, I truly believe that the music department is the wrong place. In addition to alleviating stress by increasing the body's release of endorphins, music has been found to play a significant role in childhood development. Not only is learning to play an instrument fun and challenging at the same time, but studies have found that music instruction also promotes cognitive development, verbal skills and emotional intelligence. In this day and age where surfing the Internet, watching TV, playing video games and texting are considered acceptable hobbies, I think now, more than ever, it's extremely important to make sure kids have something like music to occupy their time.
Jennie Oemig
Staff Writer
Trempealeau County Times
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