[Dixielandjazz] Musical Education & Instruments for School - more

[LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing]

I forgot to add that a huge number of HS administrators are ex coaches or
teachers that hated the classroom so much or were unsuccessful as teachers,
study for the admin certificate and get to be a principal.  The primary perk
of which is that they don't have to be in a classroom.  The Doctorate degree
also has the same effect by getting more money, being promoted to department
head and out of the classroom a bunch but maybe not entirely.  It's kind of
like purgatory for professional students but it usually means you are the
last to be fired in a department.
Larry -- St. Louis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing" <sign.guy at charter.net>
To: <BillSargentDrums at aol.com>; <cellblk7 at comcast.net>;
<NANCYink at surewest.net>; <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2005 5:43 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Musical Education & Instruments for School


> Snip:  2. How's the school's funding for it's sports programs?
>
> They often, depending on the locality make lots of money.  When I was on
> tour with the AF band we played a small town in the Missouri Bootheel.
That
> town had a Civic center that would seat twice as many people as lived in
the
> town.  The civic center functioned as the school sports area.  Its a
farming
> /  cotton area and the people are not wealthy but they are crazy about
their
> high school sports.  Bands in many areas such as Texas and Florida are
just
> an extension of that complex.  In those areas bands are big too.  Here
they
> make money but generally only enough to fund the sports programs which are
> supported very well.
>
> Larry - St. Louis
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <BillSargentDrums at aol.com>
> To: <cellblk7 at comcast.net>; <NANCYink at surewest.net>;
> <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Friday, June 24, 2005 12:43 PM
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Musical Education & Instruments for School
>
>
> >
> > 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
> >
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>
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