[Dhsbb-jazz] A call for support

[Fredrick Lange]

Dear band parent or friend

As you are all probably aware, due to a financial shortfall in funds,  
our school district finds itself in a deficit for the coming school  
year.  In order to balance the budget they are proposing some drastic  
cuts in services and programs for the coming year, including the  
elimination of the elementary band and string programs.

With your child now in high school this may not directly affect you  
now, but  I'm sure you can see that this will affect the quality of  
life for many younger students in this town.

I have been asked to forward the letter below to all members of the  
Davis High School Band Boosters.

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THE GROUP ACTION SUGGESTED IN THIS LETTER.   
MAKE YOUR FEELINGS KNOWN AND HELP US TO PROTECT THIS MOST VALUABLE  
PORTION OF EVERY CHILD'S EDUCATION.

Fred Lange

************************


Fellow Davis music parents and students,

As many of you know, the school district is proposing to cut $4  
million in order to balance its budget for next school year.  Among  
the proposed cuts is the elimination of the elementary instrumental  
music program (strings and band for grades 4-6) valued at $200,000.

The school board is scheduled to discuss this and other proposed cuts  
on Thursday, February 21 at 7 p.m. in the city council chambers at 23  
Russell Blvd. (corner of 5th and A).  PLEASE CONSIDER ATTENDING THE  
MEETING, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.   It is likely that they will only  
entertain *discussion* on the cuts, but will vote at a later  
meeting.  We ask that all attendees supporting the Davis schools  
music program wear a paper 1/8th note in order that the school board  
members and district officials can identify us.  You can either  
download and cut out the 1/8th note here:

http://groups.dcn.org/dsoma/images/EighthNote.jpg

or you can pick one up in person at the school board meeting.

We invite all interested persons to attend, but in particular anyone  
directly connected (parent, student) with the Davis music programs  
(band, orchestra, choir).

IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, we ask that you  
send an e-mail to school board members, or write a letter to the  
editor in the Davis Enterprise and describe why you think the  
elementary music program is important.  Please keep your comments  
positive about the program.  It is not helpful to be speaking  
negatively about any other programs.

Click here to get links to school board member e-mail addresses and  
to submit letters to the editor at the Davis Enterprise:

http://groups.dcn.org/dsoma/forms-and-documents/DavisMusicAdvocacy.html


If the school music program were only about learning music, I could  
begin to accept this as part of normal fiscal responsibility.  But  
it's not just about the music, and that is where a lot of  
misunderstanding occurs.

As a parent, I see that my kids have found the district music program  
to be a safe community of peers where they can form friendships and  
work together as a group during the school day.  There is no other  
program in the district that is as large and as comprehensive in  
setting these values of community, cooperation, and teamwork.

If the district eliminates the elementary music program, it will  
severely degrade size and quality of the secondary music program.   
Concert bands, jazz bands, orchestras, even choirs will not be able  
to sustain the level collective music experience that is offered by  
an introduction to music through the elementary instrumental music  
program.  The elementary instrumental music program forms the roots  
of the secondary music program.  Our currently growing musical  
community will shrink in size without those roots.

If school board members don't see how valuable this program is to the  
Davis community, then it will probably be deemed unimportant enough  
to cut.

We thank you in advance for your support.

Hiram Jackson
Advocacy Coordinator
Davis Schools Orchestral Music Association