The sights and sounds of a high school are sometimes the most amazing sounds you can hear. I live in the community where Rangeview is located. From my bathroom window, I can see the school. One of my most vivid memories during the summers was the Marching Band. I was awakened daily by the sound of summer practices. I am sure that other people in the area weren’t as fond of it as I was but that is their problem. I believe that the Arts are an integral part of schools and when I see them go by the wayside I am saddened. There is a scene in the movie Mr. Holland’s Opus where he is being told his band program is being cut for more reading and writing time and resources. The character responds with one of the best defenses for the arts that I have heard. To paraphrase: If you take away all of the arts, there will be nothing to read or write about. I regularly tell my engineering and computer science kids that while in high school, take an art class, performing art class, or a dance class. It is the best way to see the elegance of the world and a way to bring elegance to design or creation. I never saw the marching band as a nuisance but rather as a way for our community was expressing the art of music and sharing it with the world.
