With art and music on the chopping block in even well-to-do school districts like Belmont, MA, the prospects for school-based arts education look dim — that is, unless and until the arts finally take their rightful place at the table with the other core subjects. In the meantime, the non-profit sector will fill in as best it can, and in the process hopefully produce best practices for teaching and learning that will help move the field of arts education forward.
I am thrilled that ThisWorldMusic is a part of one such effort. Launched in 2010, The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) Academy Initiative is a program that provides individual twice-weekly instrumental lessons, coaching opportunities by BSO and BSO-affiliated musicians, in-school performances, and access to BSO activities. Here’s the announcement from their website:
The Boston Symphony Orchestra announces the launch of the BSO Academy School Initiative, a new and innovative partnership with the Boston Public Schools created to support the expansion of music education in the city’s schools, with a pilot program at the Thomas A. Edison School in Brighton, MA. The project will serve the entire student body of 775 students at the Edison School, a K-8 school created in 2009 through the merger of two elementary schools and one middle school.
I’ll be at the Edison for a 2-month artist residency starting next month, working with K-8 students on drumming and singing. Info on final performance to follow. For more info on the BSO Academy Initiative, click here.