My brother and I (and our sister the violinist who went to medical school instead) enjoyed what was to become the tail end of the public and private school music system in Pittsburgh, PA of the era. Great teachers, many of whom actually also worked as musicians as well as teaching music in the schools as well as private lessons.

Alas, those days are gone, but there are still plenty of active school band and orchestral programs in many public school systems. Here in the Tidewater area of Virginia, things look good for the kids.

Still, all it takes is a serious parent who will take the time that it takes, spend the money needed for instrument and teacher, plus provide that good old and usually necessary reinforcement of the discipline, such as making sure that practice doesn't fall by the wayside. We had those great school programs, but our parents took an active interest in outside music activities as well, the youth orchestras and whatnot, even music camps. It don't take a village, it takes a *family*.

There are still also plenty of outside outlets and venues for the youth to learn music, more now than there were in my day, for example, we did not even dream of a Rock 'n Roll camp, nor Bluegrass camp or Jazz camp for that matter. Those were all considered to be things that you took up on your own and to quite a few of the old school music teachers, it was viewed as mispent youth.

Judging from the school instrument rental programs in the music emporiums I love to visit when travelling, the school music programs are still there and are still providing the exposure to the art and science of making music. Not all will go on to try to make it as pro musicians, but all will certainly benefit from the experience, sometimes in ways that won't become clear to them until much later on in life. I recall checking out a university study that showed that college students who had been exposed to learning and practicing a musical instrument scored higher academic marks even in majors seemingly unrelated to music. Something to think about.


--Mac

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