Music Therapy in Schools! Why? Pourquoi?

Why is Music Therapy so vital in schools? Well, as an example, the LAUSD school system fails on so many levels, they need all the help they can get. In addition, they are on a cutting rampage. Why do we need to save school music? That makes music sound like an endangered species. Well, it is...in many public schools. What a shame. The majority of junior high and high school students who have  fallen into the pit of the Los Angeles public school system fail...period. They don't just fail once, they fail on multiple occasions. Who is to blame? Parents? Teachers? Friends? Gangs? Drugs? The students themselves? The list can go on. The fact is, there are many factors that contribute. I don't, however, want to dwell on the negative. But....many students are blamed for their own trips and falls. How do we get these students out of the conditioned to failure mode? Music is the answer. Why? Because with music, as I've said before, we all succeed in some shape or form. It's no lie.

Today I am only going to touch on one aspect of the importance of music therapy in schools. So many students come from broken homes, so they seek out their own "family." This is often achieved through joining a gang. Now, I don't have to write down all of the pitfalls of joining a gang. We all know what they are. If you don't, then you must live in a bubble....a very thick bubble. Through, for example, group music experiences, people find a new "family" or "team." People engaging in this sort of behavior are working together to achieve the same goal, whether it be a group performance, writing music, performing as a band, etc.  In working together toward a positive goal, people start learning how to form healthy relationships, through music. They also learn how to trust. They have to trust that their team members will follow through with responsibilities and that they will support each other. They also have to learn to trust that the music therapist will be consistent, caring, and supportive. This is not easy when your trust has been broken on many levels. Through Music Therapy, though, anything is possible. Music Therapy DOES Make A Difference!