September 2011

ASA BAND NEWS

Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks, and invents.
Ludwig Van Beethoven

Welcome to the ASA Bands

an instrument isnt fun it will be during these rst months, when the chasm between how the student plays and how they want to play seems almost insurmountable. Just about anyone has Tips for Beginners enough talent to learn an The rst challenge to instrument, and with regular becoming a musician is to get practice a basic level of through the initial few achievement can be attained months. If there is ever a within a few months. There time when learning to play is a clear correlation between This year over 55 students are playing in the ASA bands! We are especially excited to welcome 21 beginners to the program! time spent practicing and improvement, so the best thing that you can do for your childs musical development is help them nd 20-30 minutes for conscientious practice every day. Ideally they can practice in a quiet space, and place their music on a music stand or a piano. There is no substitute for regular, daily practice.

ASA BAND NEWS September

Statistics show.....
By Nathan McMath

In the last twenty years educators have been paying more attention to the measurable benets of music education. It is no longer enough to After School in Band say that music brings people together, Students are civilizes us, and gives children a means of artistic expression. encouraged to come by the band room for Teachers today want to see statistical proof that music is a valuable aspect extra help and to challenge songs. of a childs development. Friday is reserved for Over the past twenty years there students with at least have been a wealth of studies that one year of playing show a strong correlation between improved student performance and experience. Wednesdays are music education. The College Board reserved for rst year has recently looked into the effects of music education on SAT scores, and students. All other days are open for found that students who benet from students who want to music education saw their math stop by for some extra scores improve by 41 points, and help.

Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and, by studying music in school, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective.
- Bill Clinton, saxophonist, and former President, United States of America

their verbal scores improve by 57 points. Students who studied music for more than four years saw even greater gains, with combined score improvements of 119 points on the SAT. Music education delivers a vast skill set, so it should be no surprise that students who receive music education outperform their peers later in life. A recent Harris poll found that 83% of people with graduate degrees had participated in music education.

Parent Visit
Parents are welcome to come observe a band class. This is a fun way to learn what band is about. Just email Mr. McMath if you would like to visit.

Visit the band website at www.musicmadagascar.blogspot.com