Music Advocacy’s Top Ten Quotes
1. “During the Gulf War, the few opportunities I had for relaxation
I always listened to music, and it brought me great peace of mind. I
have shared my love of music with people throughout this world, while
listening to the drums and special instruments of the Far East, Middle
East, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Far North, and all of this started
with the music appreciation course that I was taught in a third-grade
elementary class in Princeton, New Jersey. What a tragedy it would be
if we lived in a world where music was not taught to children.”
- General H. Norman Schwarzkopf — United
States Army
2. “Music is exciting. It is thrilling to be sitting in a group
of musicians playing (more or less) the same piece of music. You are
part of a great, powerful, vibrant entity. And nothing beats the feeling
you get when you've practiced a difficult section over and over and finally
get it right. (yes, even on the wood block.) Music is important. It says
things you heart can't say any other way, and in a language everyone
speaks. Music crosses borders, turns smiles into frowns, and vice versa.
These observations are shared with a hope: that, when schools cut back
on music classes, they really think about what they're doing - and don't
take music for granted.”
- Dan Rather — CBS News
3. “In every successful business…there is one budget line
that never gets cut. It’s called ‘Product Development’ – and
it’s the key to any
company’s future growth. Music education is critical to the product
development of this nation’s most important
resource – our children.”
- John Sykes — President, VH1
4. “The things I learned from my experience in music in school
are discipline, perseverance, dependability, composure, courage and pride
in results. . . Not a bad preparation for the workforce!”
- Gregory Anrig – President, Educational
Testing Service
5. “Music is an essential part of everything we do. Like puppetry,
music has an abstract quality which speaks to a worldwide audience in
a wonderful way that nourishes the soul.”
- Jim Henson – television producer and puppeteer
6. “Should we not be putting all our emphasis on reading, writing
and math? The ‘back-tobasics curricula,’ while it has merit,
ignores the most urgent void in our present system – absence of
self-discipline. The arts, inspiring – indeed
requiring – self-discipline, may be more ‘basic’ to
our nation survival than traditional credit courses. Presently, we are
spending 29 times more on science than on the arts, and the result so
far is worldwide intellectual embarrassment.”
- Paul Harvey – syndicated radio show host
7. “It's [music education] terribly important, extremely important
-- because when you are a child, you are in a receptive age ... In high
schools, public schools -- that's where they must have the best influence,
the first influence, which will go through their whole life.”
- Eugene Ormandy – conductor of The Philadelphia
Orchestra
8. “It is our job, as parents, educators, and friends, to see that
our young people have the opportunity to attain the thorough education
that will prepare them for the future. Much of that education takes place
in the classroom. We must encourage our youngsters in such pursuits as
music education. In addition to learning the valuable lesson that it
takes hard work to achieve success, no matter what the arena, music education
can provide students with a strong sense of determination, improved communication
skills, and a host of other qualities essential for successful living.”
- Edward H. Rensi – President and Chief Operation
Officer, U.S.A. McDonald's Corporation
9. “A grounding in the arts will help our children to see; to bring
a uniquely human perspective to science and technology. In short, it
will help them as they grow smarter to also grow wiser.”
- Robert E. Allen – Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AT&T
Corporation
10. “Some people think music education is a privilege, but I think
it’s essential to being human.”
- Jewel – singer, songwriter,
and instrumentalist
