Music, a Miracle...

While coming into this world, I had a seizure that caused a bleed on my brain. My survival at birth was a miracle in itself. However, many problems remained latent during my childhood. I overachieved during my first years of elementary school. I have always had a love of learning to do new things, meeting new people, and acquiring new talents and skills. In short, I loved, and still love progression. However, my last two years of elementary school brought progression to a damming halt. I found it extremely difficult to write, carry out basic algebra, and even read. My 4th and 5th graders immediately gave up hope, they wanted to move me to a special education class, and they told my mother to not push me to work hard because I was physically and mentally incapable and it would just wear me out.

Even in middle school, I found myself still struggling with science, math, English, and reading. My first accelerated math teacher saw my difficulty and seemed simply appalled at me. I quote you words she said in a parent-teacher conference meeting: "I will do everything in my power to keep William out of accelerated math." I was crushed. I wanted to learn everything, and I just wanted a teacher to believe I could!

I also took up middle school band, I played clarinet and bass clarinet. Since music required me reading and doing math to subdivide notes at the same time, music was especially difficult for me. There was a major difference though. I had a teacher who did not take failure for an option. He worked with me and my fellow students and gave us a basic understanding of music. I progressed to the highest classical band in the school under his direction, it was the first achievement I had made in years. I also received 3rd place in the entire woodwind division of the solo Olympics.

In High School band I took up the saxophone, and luckily I had a band director who played saxophone, and was determined to see me succeed. He stayed after school drilling me on important scales and concepts to make me a competent saxophonist. He promised me he'd help me make honor band. And I did! That same year, I made Allstate, and the following year I was the top Allstate tenor saxophonist. All because he believed in me.

While progressing through this band program, I not only gained confidence, but I learned how spread myself extremely thin in working for what I want. I learned better methods on how to study, and my sophomore year, I was achieving straight A's progressing my way up to a 4.0 GPA. I even won the County Science fair, and received $1000. My school counselor seemed astonished as my class rank rose by the 100's every quarter. The way I did it was simple - I simply took the skills of practice and confidence I learned from band, and applied it to every subject in my life. I testify with every fiber of my being that band is what gave me the skills to succeed.

Unfortunately, my school district has already begun to take away various arts programs from schools around the states. I know I am not the only one who has been blessed by the miracle of music. These programs help kids find themselves every year and develop them into responsible, teachable students. Had it not been for band, I know I would not be writing this to you today. I know I would not have the confidence to enter into any college of my choice. I know I would not feel of any worth to society, nor have the great friendships that I enjoy this day.

If I music had been taken away from my school before I developed into the person I am now, who knows where I would be. Who knows where countless others are going with these new cuts. My heart wrenches for those poor students who wonder why they can't continue what they love. You cut music, you cut people like me down.