[Dixielandjazz] Musical Education & Instruments for School

[BillSargentDrums at aol.com]

Nancy wrote: "Yes, Bill, you are right; a horse's end does come to  mind."
 
Bob Romans wrote: "GO Nancy!!!!!"
 
Now that was uncalled for. I responded to your plea without resorting to  
personal shots like that.
 
I STRONGLY believe in and walk the walk regarding educating kids musically.  
I donate instruments, equipment, time and talent. I donate time teaching kids  
both privately and in groups. I take kids to concerts. Many times I am the 
only  one at a jazz concert with kids in tow while the rest of the room is 
nothing but  "blue-hairs" that left their grand-kids at home.
 
When my parents started me with piano lessons, we had a piano. When I  
started the drums, my dad got me drums. My school also had drums for me to play.  
This was back before the teachers union had grown budgets beyond control. The  
drums the school had were there years before I got there . . . and some of 
those  drums are still in use there today. (They don't disintegrate)
 
In my state, as I'm SURE it is yours, the people who put their kids through  
a privately-funded public school (commonly mis-named as a private school) pay  
money to the government school for their kids NOT to be there . . . all the  
while paying tuition to another school for their kids to attend.
 
I am one of those parents. I pay 2 tuitions for my two kids . . . one to a  
school they do not attend and one to a school they attend. I get no tax credit  
for my tax money, nor does my kid cost their government school any time, 
effort  or expenditure. You'd think they could buy a musical instrument with that 
money.  They don't seem to have a problem buying footballs or basketballs with 
it.
 
When my daughters started to play the piano, I supplied them with a  
Kurzweil. When they progressed and had an appreciation for it, I bought them a  new 
Baldwin upright (beautiful piano). When my daughter began guitar, I bought  her 
a nice Ibanez acoustic. When she had progressed I bought her a Fender Strat.  
When they began drums, I bought them a set of Mapex drums and loaned them real 
 good cymbals.
 
My WHOLE point is as I originally stated, that is people in SACRAMENTO, a  
city some might argue as jazz mecca, a city that financially benefits greatly  
from live musical performance & festivals & tourism . . . if these  people 
don't get the point of musical education & equipment in the schools .  . . then 
they just don't get it.
 
So, I'll conclude with 3 points:
 
1. What happened to all the musical instruments they USED to have before  the 
so-called "budgetary crisis"? After all, musical instruments are not  
disposable one-use items. Also, just because much of your school funding may  come 
from the state, it does not mean that locals cannot fund things. The whole  
state can't be in a crisis, after all, half the stuff we buy in the rest of this  
country seems to originate somewhere in California.
 
2. How's the school's funding for it's sports programs? I'll bet they have  
money for the not-so-important stuff. How about the teacher's benefits  
packages?
 
3. I think the idea of this scout gathering instruments and giving them to  a 
school to benefit kids is a worthy and noble cause and effort. Just give them 
 to a school that truly is needy in a community that is appreciative and gets 
it.  Sacramento has had 25-30 years to "get it". Most government (public) 
schools  don't qualify.
 
Find a city that could use the arts and will appreciate them more, find a  
school that isn't over-stuffed and over-staffed by a teachers union and find a  
school where parents have to shell out two tuition's for their kids to be  
there. THOSE KIDS ARE DESERVING TOO.
 
Bill