As an abused child, who grew up in a poor family, music literally turned my life around.
It later gave me a profession and helped me find my place in this old world. I am thankful to have been successful and fortunate enough to be able to reciprocate to a lot of students. If a youngster has a burning desire to play a musical instrument and the parents can’t afford it, or their credit is not worth a rip, the student still gets a musical instrument from my store, Capitol Music.
After being in business for more than 56 years, well over a million dollars worth of instruments have gone out through special arrangements to worthy and deserving students whose parents could not outright pay for them.
All the way back to Socrates and the ancient Greek scholars, man has never devised a better learning tool than music. Music should be looked upon as a primary tool that makes kids smarter and enriches their lives. Through music we find happiness, improving our lives. The reward of learning music goes with us throughout life, even into old age, much more so than any other single subject in school.
Music is great therapy and many times it may be the best and closest friend you have. Through music we develop self-discipline, coordination of mind, nerves and muscles, teamwork, leadership, self confidence, self worth, mechanical skills, patience, self expression, creativity, and the ability to analyze and solve problems. All of this enhances brain activity and superior memory. Music is spelled “F-U-N” and much more so than any other single subject in school, it highly motivates students to stay in school.
Once the student can hear the music in their head and then execute it on their instrument, developing their own style (not copying someone else), that is the type of imaginative and creative person you like to hire. You don’t have to tell them everything to do . . . They are smarter!
The University of California at Irvine, along with some other major universities, has done a
number of studies that have demonstrated that students who can’t pass math, science, etc., can improve through music studies. Once they get the music experience under their belt, their minds develop making them smarter, giving them the ability to handle subjects that they could not previously pass.
With the looming school budget cuts and other restraints, we must not lose sight of what we should consider a most valuable part of our educational system. Band directors, orchestra directors, choral and other music teachers should be the last ones on the chopping block, not the first!
These invaluable educators develop a very close rapport with their students and are sometimes the only positive guiding force they have in their lives. In all of life, we have to have balance. If you take music out of the schools, you will be taking a whole lot more than music.
You will be taking a whole lot of students.
We must, at all costs, save this vital part of a well-rounded education – MUSIC.

Jim Darby, owner
Capitol Music
Montgomery