This March, the voices and instruments of music students will fill the halls and public spaces of communities around the country, as music educators showcase their programs for parents, administrators, elected officials, and the general public, demonstrating the inherent value of music in the lives of all students. The variety of music performed in the classroom and in school auditoriums is more diverse than it has ever been, as music educators endeavor to reach all students from myriad backgrounds with all kinds of music.
Since 1985, MIOSM has been observed as a yearly month-long celebration when schools and communities celebrate music in their local schools and the educators who dedicate themselves to bringing music into the lives of students every day.
“This year’s Music In Our Schools Month theme is ‘All Music. All People.’ Every day, in classrooms and rehearsal rooms across the United States, music educators dedicate themselves to reaching all students with music,” said Michael J. Blakeslee, NAfME Executive Director and CEO. “What parents, administrators, and the wider community have not always had the opportunity to observe, however, is the months of practice and rehearsals, and the process of learning that takes place in the music classroom and on the stage.”
“And so, this year MIOSM has been an opportunity for music educators to show that process through ‘informances’—showcasing the students at various learning stages—before the performances at the end of that process,” Blakeslee added. “This is a wonderful opportunity for students to demonstrate their growth and learning in the music classroom—and for educators to show the incredible work they are doing in their music programs.
The Hanover Wind Symphony applauds our member teachers for supporting the difference music makes for all students, our future leaders.
The HWS will be celebrating Music in Our Schools with our outreach program at Hopatcong High School on May 15. We will be the teachers, giving master classes to the band students, as well as performing side-by-side with them. This year we will also have a student conducting a piece with the combined group!
