When it was announced state superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey was going to be addressing all of the state’s music educators, many of us braced for potentially bad news.
Thankfully, the news wasn’t bad at all.
kAm~? uC:52J[ v@G] z2J xG6J’D 4FCC6?E 962=E9 @C56C 6IA:C6D] sC] |24<6J 7:CDE A@:?E65 @FE D6G6C2= E9:?8D E92E 2C6 6IA64E65 E@ 92AA6? 36J@?5 E96 6IA:C2E:@? @7 E9:D A2CE:4F=2C @C56C]k^Am
kAm~=56C DEF56?ED :? 6:89E9 8C256 2?5 FA H:== 36 23=6 E@ C6EFC? E@ D49@@= 367@C6 J@F?86C DEF56?ED 4@>6 >:5\yF?6[ 3FE E96J H:== 36 F?56C DEC:4E @C56CD 7@C D@4:2= 5:DE2?4:?8 :? D>2==6C 8C@FAD] u@C 6I2>A=6[ :7 @?=J `_ A6@A=6 >2J 82E96C[ E96? 2 4@249 @C 32?5 5:C64E@C 4@F=5 >66E H:E9 ?:?6 @C 76H6C DEF56?ED 2E E92E E:>6[ H:E9 6G6CJ@?6 e 766E 2A2CE @C H62C:?8 AC@E64E:G6 724:2= 4@G6C:?8D]k^Am
kAmsC] |24<6J 5:D4FDD65 H92E EJA6D @7 7246 >2D<D D9@F=5 36 H@C? @?46 H6 2== 86E 324< E@86E96C] w6 D2:5 6G6? 2 D:>A=6 32?52??2 H@F=5 36 2446AE23=6] qFE 9@H H@F=5 E92E H@C< H96? H6 D:?8 @C H96? H6 3=@H 2 ECF>A6Enk^Am
kAmw6 925 2=C625J >6E H:E9 E96 7@@E32== 2?5 G@==6J32== 4@2496D =2DE H66< 2?5 5:D4FDD65 9@H E96 72== >:89E =@@<j ?@H 96 255C6DD65 >2C49:?8 32?5 5:C64E@CD] k^Am
kAmw6 5:D4@FC2865 2?J EJA6 @7 >FD:4 C6962CD2= E92E H@F=5 3C:?8 49:=5C6? :? 4=@D6 AC@I:>:EJ E@ @?6 2?@E96C[ H9:49 H@F=5 36 :>A@DD:3=6 H:E9 32?5D 2?5 49@:CD F?56C E96 4FCC6?E C6DEC:4E:@?D] |2C49:?8 32?5 42? >66E[ 3FE 96 C64@>>6?565 D>2== 8C@FAD :? >2?28623=6 ?F>36CD]k^Am
kAm(92E 23@FE 4@>A6E:E:@?Dnk^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 E92E E96 :562 @7 92G:?8 b_ @C c_ >2C49:?8 32?5D :? 2 DE25:F>[ D:EE:?8 :? 4=@D6 BF2CE6CD 7@C D6G6C2= 9@FCD 2E 2 4@?E6DE[ H2D ?@E =:<6=J E@ 6G6? 36 2 A@DD:3:=:EJ E9:D 7@@E32== D62D@?] $@[ 2 >2C49:?8 32?5 42? 86E E@86E96C 2?5 C6962CD6 2?5 D:E 72C 2A2CE 2E 2 7@@E32== 82>6[ 2?5 6G6? A6C7@C> 2E =62DE e 766E 2A2CE @? 2 7@@E32== 7:6=5 — 3FE ?@ 4@>A6E:E:@?D] k^Am
kAmp== @7 E9:D C6>2:?D :? E96 C62=> @7 E96 A@DD:3=6j sC] |24<6J H@F=5 ?@E 4@>>:E 567:?:E:G6=J E@ 2?J @7 E9:D 3642FD6 6G6? 96 :D F?DFC6 @7 H92E H:== 92AA6? ?6IE] pD 96 D2:5[ 9@H 4@F=5 H6 92G6 <?@H? @? uC:52J[ |2C49 `b H6 H@F=5 6>32C< FA@? E96 =@?86DE DAC:?8 3C62< :? 9:DE@CJnk^Am
kAmsC] |24<6J 255C6DD65 EC2?DA@CE2E:@? 4@?46C?D] u@C E96 e\766E D@4:2= 5:DE2?4:?8 2DA64E E@ 36 E2<6? =:E6C2==J[ 2 D49@@= 3FD 42CCJ:?8 cd E@ d_ DEF56?ED H@F=5 @?=J 36 23=6 E@ 9@=5 >2J36 `d] w@H6G6C[ E92E :D 2? F?C62=:DE:4 6IA64E2E:@?] w6 C64@>>6?565 H62C:?8 7246 >2D<D 2?5 92G:?8 @?6 E@ 2 D62E @C D<:AA:?8 C@HD] k^Am
kAmw@H H:== E96 rp#t$ >@?6J 36 FD65[ 6DA64:2==J H:E9 C682C5 E@ >FD:4 65F42E:@? :? p=232>2n sC] |24<6J D2:5 E92E Sa`e >:==:@? H2D D6?E E@ p=232>2[ 3FE 7@C =682= AFCA@D6D :E 92D E@ 36 5:DEC:3FE65 E@ D49@@=D 4=2DD:7:65 2D %:E=6 x] %96 7F?5D H:== 36 5:DEC:3FE65 32D65 @? E96 ?F>36C @7 DEF56?ED :? E96 DJDE6>] u@C 6I2>A=6[ E96 =2C86DE @7 E96 D49@@= DJDE6>D H:== C646:G6 Sa]d >:==:@?[ H9:=6 E96 D>2==6DE H:== C646:G6 S`__[___] k^Am
kAm!C:@C E@ E96 D64@?5 H66< @7 |2C49[ sC] |24<6J D2:5 E96 =625:?8 E@A:4 @7 5:D4FDD:@? 2E E96 DE2E6 D49@@= 3@2C5 H2D >6?E2= 962=E9] %92E >2J 92G6 E2<6? 2 E6>A@C2CJ 324< D62E E@ r~'xs\`h[ 3FE 96 42FE:@?65 >6?E2= 962=E9 :D DE:== 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 E@A AC:@C:EJ H96? E96 5FDE D6EE=6D 2?5 H6 2C6 324< 2E D49@@=] k^Am
kAm%96 86?6C2= 8F:52?46 2?5 92?5H2D9:?8 AC@E@4@= H:== 36 6IA64E65 2D DEF56?ED 6?E6C 2?5 6I:E E96 D49@@= 3F:=5:?8 @?46 E96J C6EFC?] p?5 sC] |24<6J DE:== AC65:4ED H6 H:== 36 324< @? 2 C68F=2C D49@@= 42=6?52C 4@>6 =2E6 pF8FDE] u@C E9@D6 H9@ E9@F89E 96 H2D 8@:?8 E@ 4@>6 E@ E96 >FD:4 E62496CD’ >66E:?8 2?5 3=@H FD @FE[ E92E 5:5?’E 92AA6?]k^Am
kAmx? 724E[ 9:D 4@?4=F5:?8 DE2E6>6?E H2D H96? H6 2== 86E 324< E@ D49@@= E9:D 72==[ 96 36=:6G6D H6 D9@F=5 “DFCC@F?5 49:=5C6? H:E9 E96 7F== D49@@= 6IA6C:6?46[” H9:49 sC] |24<6J D2:5 :?4=F56D 2== @7 E96 7:?6 2CED] x? 2 A6C764E H@C=5[ E96J H@F=5 36 2G2:=23=6 E@ 6G6CJ@?6 7C@> AC6D49@@= E@ 9:89 D49@@=[ 96 2=D@ D2:5] k^Am
kAm“tG6CJ @?6 @7 J@F 42? ?2>6 2 E62496C H9@ 492?865 J@FC =:76[” sC] |24<6J D2:5[ “>2J36 2 >FD:4 E62496C]k^Am
kAm“%92?< J@F 7@C 36:?8 E92E E62496C[” 96 4@?4=F565]k^Am
kAm~FC 49@CFD A6C7@C>65 7@C sC] |24<6J EH:46 E9:D D49@@= J62C] w6 :D 2 >FD:4 =@G6C 2?5 72?[ 2?5 x ?6G6C 5@F3E65 96 H@F=5 D9@H DFAA@CE 7@C FD :? E9:D >66E:?8] %96 ?:46 DFCAC:D6[ 9@H6G6C[ H2D E92E 96 5:5 ?@E AF== 2?J AF?496D ?@C >2<6 6>AEJ AC@>:D6D E@ FD] w6 EC62E65 @FC AC@76DD:@? 2?5 @FC DEF56?ED H:E9 C6DA64E[ 2?5 x 2> 6G6? >@C6 4@?7:56?E 96 :D E96 C:89E =6256C H6 ?665 2E E9:D E:>6 :? p=232>2 9:DE@CJ] k^Am
kAmk6>m|:4926= q:C5 :D 2 >FD:4 E62496C 7@C %2==2DD66 r:EJ $49@@=D 2?5 2 C68F=2C 4@=F>?:DE 7@Ck^6>m %96 ~FE=@@<’k6>mD D:DE6C A2A6C[k^6>m %96 %2==2DD66 %C:3F?6]k^Am