According to their website, VH1 Save the Music is a "non-profit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education in American public schools." One of their main goals is to raise the importance of music as part of each child’s complete education. Most of the schools are in New York City but schools in Westchester are starting to cut out music also. The inspiration for the foundation started from John Sykes’s Volunteer experience as Principal for a Day at the Brooklyn, New York public school, PS58 (The Carroll School). Mr. Sykes first saw that "these students were struggling due to the great need for musical instruments" and he was inspired to learn more about the benefits the student receives from studying a musical instrument. Since 1997, this foundation has provided $43 million worth of new musical instruments to more than 1,700 public schools. It has impacted 1.4 million public schools students.
The Foundation maintains a partnership with the district until instrumental music programs are placed in every school. If there is a need for instrumental music education, they look to the superintendent and school board for a commitment to restore music in every school within a district. With this said, the foundation has found that music education is not only important for its essential value, but research consistently shows that students who study an instrument enhance their critical thinking skills and their ability to work together as a team. With the help from VH1 Save the Music, instrumental music education is brought back to life, therefore giving these kids the full education that is vital for every individual.
A great introduction to a well thought out topic. You introduced the topic well and made sure the reader understood the background of the VH1 Save the Music Foundation and what you wish to talk about in the future. I liked how you used specific statistics of musical instruments that have impacted people and the dates at which this happened. It gives the reader a timeline of events and how long this group has been active, throughout the years. Overall a good entry, you could elaborate more on where this group has made a significant impact, besides Brooklyn.
ReplyDeleteDaniel, I think this entry gives a good broad opening to your topic. The information is relevant and enahances your thesis, and the statistics prove the legitimacy of the cause. I think it would help to explain further who Mr. Sykes is, and why is in the position to create this movement and foundation. I am curious to know what sort of visible results this movement has made on these schools? How have the students reacted to the incorporation of music? I think it would support your thesis well if you wrote another blog going into the research and proof that instruments help a child's critical thinking skills. Overall you have made a great start to your project.
ReplyDeleteDaniel, I really enjoyed reading your post! A few weeks ago I did a project on this topic and while I found statistics about music education in schools and its dwindling numbers, I didn't deeply study the VH1 program. I had previously investigated the effects of music on critical thinking and connecting test scores but I thought it was really interesting to learn about the incredible amount of musical aid that this program has contributed. It gave another window to what was not only the problem, but what is being done to help fix it.
ReplyDeleteI think it could enhance your blog if you added specific examples of which schools the VH1 program has helped. If you added an individual account it could make the solution seem more real and approachable than statistics and numbers on a page. I think your on a very good track with your blog!
Just as a little side note, while my research is probably one tenth of what you have I could pass on some of the statistics I found if you needed some.
I really enjoy seeing that I'm not the only one who cares about music. I support the VH1 Foundation, and its nice to see that somebody else does too.
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