Music Should Be Part of Every Child’s Academic Experience
Dear NCS Parents:
On January 27 and 28, NCS hosted the 2017 Junior and Senior High All County Music Festival. For two days, our “halls were alive with the sound of music” as students from thirteen area schools played in a Concert Band, Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, and Chorus. Their presence was a reminder to everyone that music gives students the skills and opportunities needed for success in the 21st century. By requiring students to dedicate themselves to a task, work hard, be creative, and problem solve, music helps fine-tune the talents that colleges and employers across the world desire. In addition, music is the perfect way to balance the individual with the collective. Because individuals cannot simply become better musicians by reading a book or watching a video, they have to dedicate time each day for practice and improvement. Yet in order to maximize fully the power of their craft, they have to learn to perform with members of a group. By collaborating with other instruments and sections, students develop the skills for teamwork that are critical in the world around us.
However, while playing an instrument or singing in a chorus can be a “means to an end,” the experience is also an “end in itself.” Listening to pieces by composers like Strauss and Standridge, Mozart and Verdi at the All County Music Festival this past weekend provided a reminder to those in attendance that music gives us all a tremendous amount of joy.
If your son or daughter currently plays an instrument, sings in chorus, or takes the stage in the musical at NCS, we hope you will continue to support their participation in the arts. If your student does not currently have music as a part of their academic program, we would ask that you encourage them to take advantage of the opportunities provided here at NCS. We are blessed with an incredibly talented Fine Arts Department here in Naples, and we know that music has a transformative effect on the experience of students in our District.
As the All County Music Festival comes to a close, please know how much we appreciate the time and energy from the countless students, staff members, and parents who made the event a success. We are blessed to work in community that recognizes the importance of music, and we could not ask for more supportive partners in the education of our children.
Sincerely,
Matt Frahm, Superintendent
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