announcements
OCTOBER LETTER:
MID-TERM REMINDER OF THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC Band Family: Welcome to October and the beginning of the holiday season. Our music program continues to move forward at a fast pace. We are enjoying the unlimited possibilities of music learning and music making, otherwise known as - ART. This is often the time of year when school becomes a bit "routine." The realization of mid-term tests, lengthy assignments and crucial deadlines becomes apparent. Many students find themselves in a bind and begin to seek ways to shed the burden of "over-commitment." Unfortunately, music is often the target of this quick-fix solution. Beware of the shallow contention, "But I have taken music classes and I just don't have the time to continue with music when there is so much to do." Initially this statement seems to have some merit, but when parents clearly understand that music stimulates the creative mind and unleashes multidimensional thinking that reinforces the highest level of intellect, memory and sensory awareness, the argument is short-lived. The question to ask your child is, "Do you want to master the disciplines required to achieve your life-goals?" The obvious "yes" answer supports a continuation of music study. Over the years, music educators have carefully tracked the SAT test scores of students involved in music classes compared to those who were not. The statistics highlight a dramatic variance that cannot be ignored: "Students with coursework/experience in music performance scored 52 points higher on the verbal portion of the SAT and 37 points higher on the math portion than students with no coursework or experience in the arts. And a difference in scores increased with the number of years involved. Those who studied music four or more years scored a combined 101 points higher on the SAT than students with no coursework or experience in the arts." Profiles of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board (1997) The benefits of music study extend far beyond the performance. Please join with me to guarantee a promising future for your child and all the young musicians in our program by encouraging them to continue their study of music. Sincerely, MATTHEW R. GOETZ, Band Director, GHS
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As the provider for your household, you are always watching and worrying over your finances. You have a mortgage/rent, a car, and people that you love and want to take care of.
You likely have insurance for your belongings, house, and health. With whatever is left over, you probably try to save with hope of one day being able to retire — but it’s not always easy.
Figuring out one’s net worth is no easy task. Yes, there are websites you can visit and financial ad-visors you can speak to, but they don’t always paint an accurate picture and take into account ALL of your most valuable possessions.
• What about your family?
• What about all of the people you love and who love you back?
• What about all of the memories you have?
• What about the places you have traveled and the things you’ve seen?
• What about the early morning back rubs, late night snuggles, and long weekend trips?
• What about the late night feedings, diaper changes, and skinned knees?
• What about your children?!
How is it your net worth doesn’t include your most valuable and important asset: your children?
While it may not be as easy to quantify, our self worth is far more important than our net worth. And, this is as true for teens as it is for adults.
Being in music isn’t cheap. It requires your child to sacrifice their time, talents, and sleep. Beyond that, it has an impact on your and your family’s bottom line. But, it does have an ROI (return on in-vestment) that is immeasurable. It does have an impact on your child: it makes them a better per-son.
Please always keep in mind the impact music has on your child’s self worth.
Sincerely,
Matthew R. Goetz,
Band Director, GHS
You likely have insurance for your belongings, house, and health. With whatever is left over, you probably try to save with hope of one day being able to retire — but it’s not always easy.
Figuring out one’s net worth is no easy task. Yes, there are websites you can visit and financial ad-visors you can speak to, but they don’t always paint an accurate picture and take into account ALL of your most valuable possessions.
• What about your family?
• What about all of the people you love and who love you back?
• What about all of the memories you have?
• What about the places you have traveled and the things you’ve seen?
• What about the early morning back rubs, late night snuggles, and long weekend trips?
• What about the late night feedings, diaper changes, and skinned knees?
• What about your children?!
How is it your net worth doesn’t include your most valuable and important asset: your children?
While it may not be as easy to quantify, our self worth is far more important than our net worth. And, this is as true for teens as it is for adults.
Being in music isn’t cheap. It requires your child to sacrifice their time, talents, and sleep. Beyond that, it has an impact on your and your family’s bottom line. But, it does have an ROI (return on in-vestment) that is immeasurable. It does have an impact on your child: it makes them a better per-son.
Please always keep in mind the impact music has on your child’s self worth.
Sincerely,
Matthew R. Goetz,
Band Director, GHS
DEAR BAND FAMILY:
Pamela Pauls reads more than just about any other person in America. As the the editor of the prestigious New York Times Book Review, she consumes words the way most of us consume air. Pamela has merged her passion and profession into an all day (and sometimes night) consumption of all things on the printed page.
As one of America’s foremost literary scholars, you would think she would have a highly developed sense of memory and recall, but she doesn’t. In fact, she admits that she remembers very little of what she reads once she is done.
“I almost always remember where I was as I was reading it, and the physical object of the book itself,” says Paul. “I remember the edition; I remember the cover; I usually remember where I bought it, or who gave it to me. What I don’t remember — and it’s terrible — is everything else.”
And it turns out she’s not alone.
The “forgetting curve,” as it’s called, is steepest during the first 24 hours after you learn something. Exactly how much you forget, percentage-wise, varies. Unless you review the material, much of it slips down the drain after the first day, with more to follow in the days after. This leaves you with a fraction of what you originally took in.
Except when it comes to music.
Music and songs are different from books in that they aren’t just the consumption of information, they’re part of the tapestry of life. They combine and attach themselves to experiences and become woven in with the events of our lives and once they are intertwined, they are virtually impossible to separate.
Don’t believe me?
Just think of one of the first songs you learned decades ago: “A,B,C,D,E,F,G… Next time won’t you sing with me.” Try and say the previous sentence without singing it (and speaking the letters in rhythm counts as singing!).
I wonder if “reading” printed music is as forgettable as reading the printed word. I know that for me, I remember very little of what I played in high school and almost nothing from college. However, as a student and as a teacher, I remember with great clarity the “feeling I had” and the “place I was” when I played/conducted it. As someone who read musical scores the way Ms. Pauls read books, I must admit that my “forgetting curve” when it comes to reading music is just as steep.
I suspect that it is similar for my students.
What makes music different? It’s the fact that the harmonies and melodies are intertwined with the moments and memories of our lives. In fact, once memories and music are combined, they are inseparable. Music allows us to recall our memories faster and with greater clarity. I could cite research studies about the frontal cortex and the temporal lobe, but for both our sanities, can I ask you to take my word for it?
Just yesterday, after rehearsal, I was listening to a recording of two of my favorite pieces of music. And, while I was sitting in my office doing paperwork, the memories and feelings of when I first performed them were as immediate and endearing as if they occurred yesterday.
We KNOW that the act of learning WITH music increases comprehension. So imagine what learning while MAKING music does for your child!
Sincerely,
Matthew R. Goetz,
Band Director, GHS
Pamela Pauls reads more than just about any other person in America. As the the editor of the prestigious New York Times Book Review, she consumes words the way most of us consume air. Pamela has merged her passion and profession into an all day (and sometimes night) consumption of all things on the printed page.
As one of America’s foremost literary scholars, you would think she would have a highly developed sense of memory and recall, but she doesn’t. In fact, she admits that she remembers very little of what she reads once she is done.
“I almost always remember where I was as I was reading it, and the physical object of the book itself,” says Paul. “I remember the edition; I remember the cover; I usually remember where I bought it, or who gave it to me. What I don’t remember — and it’s terrible — is everything else.”
And it turns out she’s not alone.
The “forgetting curve,” as it’s called, is steepest during the first 24 hours after you learn something. Exactly how much you forget, percentage-wise, varies. Unless you review the material, much of it slips down the drain after the first day, with more to follow in the days after. This leaves you with a fraction of what you originally took in.
Except when it comes to music.
Music and songs are different from books in that they aren’t just the consumption of information, they’re part of the tapestry of life. They combine and attach themselves to experiences and become woven in with the events of our lives and once they are intertwined, they are virtually impossible to separate.
Don’t believe me?
Just think of one of the first songs you learned decades ago: “A,B,C,D,E,F,G… Next time won’t you sing with me.” Try and say the previous sentence without singing it (and speaking the letters in rhythm counts as singing!).
I wonder if “reading” printed music is as forgettable as reading the printed word. I know that for me, I remember very little of what I played in high school and almost nothing from college. However, as a student and as a teacher, I remember with great clarity the “feeling I had” and the “place I was” when I played/conducted it. As someone who read musical scores the way Ms. Pauls read books, I must admit that my “forgetting curve” when it comes to reading music is just as steep.
I suspect that it is similar for my students.
What makes music different? It’s the fact that the harmonies and melodies are intertwined with the moments and memories of our lives. In fact, once memories and music are combined, they are inseparable. Music allows us to recall our memories faster and with greater clarity. I could cite research studies about the frontal cortex and the temporal lobe, but for both our sanities, can I ask you to take my word for it?
Just yesterday, after rehearsal, I was listening to a recording of two of my favorite pieces of music. And, while I was sitting in my office doing paperwork, the memories and feelings of when I first performed them were as immediate and endearing as if they occurred yesterday.
We KNOW that the act of learning WITH music increases comprehension. So imagine what learning while MAKING music does for your child!
Sincerely,
Matthew R. Goetz,
Band Director, GHS
Dear Band Family,
It’s likely that your first car was something less than a Porsche. Maybe it was a hand me down, maybe it was a cheap buy, but it likely did not have a “new car” smell. Regardless of what you drove and how you got it, you likely had to be “sold” on the car. That is what salespeople do, they convince people that what they need is what they want and vice-versa.
Recruiting for next year feels a lot like being a used car salesman. I want to be honest about the commitment and workload associated with being in music, but I also want to be careful not to scare kids away whom I know will blossom in our program.
In thinking about this challenge, I thought I would share this with you. A recently released study of teen and pre-teen students determined that:
• 85% say they sometimes wish they had more fun when playing
• 84% say that at one time they quit or wanted to quit. Why?
• 47% say because “it wasn’t any fun”
• 29% say some students were mean
• 23% say there were too many practices that interfered with other activities
…but this was not a survey of music students; it was a survey regarding student participation in athletics.
The challenges associated with being in music are not all that unique. Kids are busy and doing more than ever before. In fact, the evidence suggests that kids are working harder and doing more than at any point in the history of our country. But, as you look at your choices for next year, know that what I am selling will last your child for a lifetime.
Yes, for three weeks each and every year, I become a salesperson. I am selling discipline, commitment, character, selflessness, and hard work. I am selling joy, laughter, memories, and experiences. I am selling friendship, camaraderie, and kindness. I am selling a high quality, challenging, safe and drug-free environment for your child.
I share this with you because I think it is important for you to know. I share this with you because I think it is important for your kids to know. I share this with you so you know that I am selling something that your child TRULY needs and wants, even if they don’t say it out loud. I am selling success.
Sincerely,
Matthew R. Goetz
Band Director, GHS
It’s likely that your first car was something less than a Porsche. Maybe it was a hand me down, maybe it was a cheap buy, but it likely did not have a “new car” smell. Regardless of what you drove and how you got it, you likely had to be “sold” on the car. That is what salespeople do, they convince people that what they need is what they want and vice-versa.
Recruiting for next year feels a lot like being a used car salesman. I want to be honest about the commitment and workload associated with being in music, but I also want to be careful not to scare kids away whom I know will blossom in our program.
In thinking about this challenge, I thought I would share this with you. A recently released study of teen and pre-teen students determined that:
• 85% say they sometimes wish they had more fun when playing
• 84% say that at one time they quit or wanted to quit. Why?
• 47% say because “it wasn’t any fun”
• 29% say some students were mean
• 23% say there were too many practices that interfered with other activities
…but this was not a survey of music students; it was a survey regarding student participation in athletics.
The challenges associated with being in music are not all that unique. Kids are busy and doing more than ever before. In fact, the evidence suggests that kids are working harder and doing more than at any point in the history of our country. But, as you look at your choices for next year, know that what I am selling will last your child for a lifetime.
Yes, for three weeks each and every year, I become a salesperson. I am selling discipline, commitment, character, selflessness, and hard work. I am selling joy, laughter, memories, and experiences. I am selling friendship, camaraderie, and kindness. I am selling a high quality, challenging, safe and drug-free environment for your child.
I share this with you because I think it is important for you to know. I share this with you because I think it is important for your kids to know. I share this with you so you know that I am selling something that your child TRULY needs and wants, even if they don’t say it out loud. I am selling success.
Sincerely,
Matthew R. Goetz
Band Director, GHS
For Thanksgiving, some of us will engage in something of a pilgrimage home; a wayfaring back to our roots and to where we once spent a great deal of time.
I love returning home. I love the sights, the smells, the food. Most of all, I love the opportunity to connect my fading memories to real places, people, and things. When possible, most of us relish the opportunity to visit our old neighborhood, see our old home, and visit loved ones.
Yes, for many of us, a visit our childhood home is nostalgic. The people living there now might be different and the front yard might have changed, but even decades later, its purpose remains unchanged: to serve as a safe place of refuge and harbinger of hopes and dreams.
In high school, music rooms serve a similar purpose. They are more than a rehearsal space. They serve as a refuge, home base, hangout, and secondary cafeteria to our students. Our musical sanctuaries serve as a remembrance of the past, connection to the present, and launch pad for the future. They serve as a place to survive the growing pains of high school and safe harbor from the occasional storm of adolescence. They serve as a place to not only succeed and fail, but to take risks and be challenged. My high school band room did this for me and I know that it is doing the same for your child.
This was why I teach. This is what I love about this profession. This is what I remember, not just about my home in high school, but the one I am attempting to create for my students.
Yes, we work hard and make some incredible music. But, in the end, I suspect that those memories will fade far quicker than those related to laughter, joy, and the feeling that there was a safe place where your child can rise, fall, and be cared for regardless of the outcome.
The inhabitants of my building may change from period to period, day to day, and year to year, but like my home, its purpose remains the same: to be somebody’s safe space and memory keeper.
So as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, let me say that I am thankful that you trust me with your child each and every day as I unlock the door and say, “ Welcome home!”
Given all that we have been through, home matters now more than ever.
Sincerely,
Mr. Goetz
Band Director, GHS
I love returning home. I love the sights, the smells, the food. Most of all, I love the opportunity to connect my fading memories to real places, people, and things. When possible, most of us relish the opportunity to visit our old neighborhood, see our old home, and visit loved ones.
Yes, for many of us, a visit our childhood home is nostalgic. The people living there now might be different and the front yard might have changed, but even decades later, its purpose remains unchanged: to serve as a safe place of refuge and harbinger of hopes and dreams.
In high school, music rooms serve a similar purpose. They are more than a rehearsal space. They serve as a refuge, home base, hangout, and secondary cafeteria to our students. Our musical sanctuaries serve as a remembrance of the past, connection to the present, and launch pad for the future. They serve as a place to survive the growing pains of high school and safe harbor from the occasional storm of adolescence. They serve as a place to not only succeed and fail, but to take risks and be challenged. My high school band room did this for me and I know that it is doing the same for your child.
This was why I teach. This is what I love about this profession. This is what I remember, not just about my home in high school, but the one I am attempting to create for my students.
Yes, we work hard and make some incredible music. But, in the end, I suspect that those memories will fade far quicker than those related to laughter, joy, and the feeling that there was a safe place where your child can rise, fall, and be cared for regardless of the outcome.
The inhabitants of my building may change from period to period, day to day, and year to year, but like my home, its purpose remains the same: to be somebody’s safe space and memory keeper.
So as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, let me say that I am thankful that you trust me with your child each and every day as I unlock the door and say, “ Welcome home!”
Given all that we have been through, home matters now more than ever.
Sincerely,
Mr. Goetz
Band Director, GHS
The evidence is everywhere that the school year is in full swing! Homework has ramped up, sports practices and clubs are meeting, and, of course, there’s music.
Finding the balance between it all is part of growing up. Our young people are exploring new activities, new interests, and figuring out who they are — who they want to be — all while striving to meet the demands of school, home, and their social lives. Add in the toll of an ongoing pandemic, and it can be challenging for your child (and for you)!
Through it all, you can rest easy knowing that by being a part of our group your child will be better equipped to navigate the challenges. We know this because creating music has benefits for emotional, physical, and cognitive growth.
Playing an instrument engages both sides of the brain and improves reading, critical thinking skills and the ability to focus and pay attention. But there’s more. By playing in the ensemble, students develop bonds with one another. Music is a ready group of friends who are there to support one another through thick and thin. And, each year that these students play together, even if they don’t spend time together outside of school, the bonds grow stronger.
Your child is shaping who they will be — they are making decisions and learning behaviors that will have an impact on them for the rest of their life. Being involved in music helps students make good choices by surrounding them with other good students and challenging them to grow musically (and otherwise) each and every day.
My hope is that you and your child will recognize music as more than just an activity, but an essential part of their growth as a person. Rather than a stressor, music enables them to achieve their goals, build the life skills that are invaluable in all that they do, and, most importantly, enrich their lives in a way few activities will.
Sincerely,
Matthew R. Goetz
Band Director, GHS
Finding the balance between it all is part of growing up. Our young people are exploring new activities, new interests, and figuring out who they are — who they want to be — all while striving to meet the demands of school, home, and their social lives. Add in the toll of an ongoing pandemic, and it can be challenging for your child (and for you)!
Through it all, you can rest easy knowing that by being a part of our group your child will be better equipped to navigate the challenges. We know this because creating music has benefits for emotional, physical, and cognitive growth.
Playing an instrument engages both sides of the brain and improves reading, critical thinking skills and the ability to focus and pay attention. But there’s more. By playing in the ensemble, students develop bonds with one another. Music is a ready group of friends who are there to support one another through thick and thin. And, each year that these students play together, even if they don’t spend time together outside of school, the bonds grow stronger.
Your child is shaping who they will be — they are making decisions and learning behaviors that will have an impact on them for the rest of their life. Being involved in music helps students make good choices by surrounding them with other good students and challenging them to grow musically (and otherwise) each and every day.
My hope is that you and your child will recognize music as more than just an activity, but an essential part of their growth as a person. Rather than a stressor, music enables them to achieve their goals, build the life skills that are invaluable in all that they do, and, most importantly, enrich their lives in a way few activities will.
Sincerely,
Matthew R. Goetz
Band Director, GHS
Photos used under Creative Commons from Hendrik Wieduwilt, taymtaym, SurfaceWarriors, Catface27