Dear Parents, For generations and generations music has been consciously and sub-consciously influencing our lives.

Music brings with itself a joy and personal satisfaction unlike anything else. It has been proven to improve student academic achievement as well as creative expression. Our children are all born with an innate aptitude to learn music. From day one up until age 9 they are greatly influenced by their music exposure and experiences. At age 9 their musical aptitude levels out and stabilizes. With that being the case it makes all the more reason to include music education within the lives of our young students. Its no secret that students, especially in grades k-4 learn best by doing. As important as it is to learn math and science, reading and writing, our young students require the need for movement and musical influence. We realize year to year that we have a variety of students with a variety of learning styles, however, music offers a broad range of genres and music education offers a broad range of developing strategies. Music education allows for students to participate in their musical culture, which in turn enhances their quality of life. By participating in their musical culture we introduce the idea of audiation. Audiation is a fancy term for thinking and understanding in your head music and its elements, which is completely dependent, on how well students are taught music. Music contributes immensely to a childs total growth as a person and as a student. Our children will be encountering music throughout their entire lives. If we take advantage of their musical potential in their early education years the students will be able to grow with the music and enjoy aesthetic gratification throughout the rest of their education and life. No other curricular area offers students the unique experiences that music education does. Music education helps with students growth in three particular areas. Their learning increases in the cognitive area of knowing and understanding, the psychomotor, which focuses on the physical skills involved with music education, and also the affective area, which aids to feelings and emotions. I truly feel that including music education within the daily lives of your young children is critical and beneficial for their development as a student and as a person. Every child deserves a chance to discover their own creativity and potential for self-expression and I believe studying music is the best way for that and incorporating that in their early years is essential for the development of your beloved children and my dear students. Passionately, Ms. Abby Straszheim