The Music in Our Lives
By Tom Mercer
Carbondale-ish
My first exposure to music occurred when I was four or five years old. I lived on the banks of the Illinois River in Rome, Illinois. There was only one store in Rome. That store was where my mother would occasionally buy 45 rpm children’s records for me. The records mostly consisted of children’s songs and rhymes. The records themselves were bright blue, red and yellow. They were great entertainment for me at that age in our home by the river.
When I was five years old, my family moved to another town: Chillicothe, Illinois. Although it was a small town, it was possible to purchase records at our Ben Franklin “dime store.” My interest and love of music developed steadily, and by the time I was in seventh grade I was playing the cornet in our grade school band. I also participated in our school chorus and made many friends who shared my love of music. Mrs. Lauderdale, our grade school music teacher, was excellent and she inspired every student that attended her class.
In High School I was a member of both the school chorus and the marching band. It was a thrill to don our uniforms and march along downtown’s main street with our friends and families watching from the curb. We also participated in regional music contests, both as a full school band and in solo competitions. I still have several medals from that time.
I began playing the bass guitar in high school. I joined a rock ‘n roll band called The Blue Myth Experiment. We played at school dances, regional fairs and holiday shows in Central Illinois. We performed at many local venues and competed in band contests at both the Heart of Illinois Fair and the Illinois State Fair. We didn’t make a great deal of money but we had great fun. I am still in contact with those band members, and we share many wonderful memories.
Through music performance I learned how to follow my music teacher’s instructions, how to read music and how to work as a member of a cohesive group to achieve a common goal. I enjoyed providing musical entertainment to friends, town residents and even the judges at performance competitions. I value all of my musical experiences. They were all worthwhile.
So much can be gained through a student’s involvement in music. Participants learn how to work together as a group. They can entertain both their fellow students and the members of their community. They can participate in competitive venues, and they can develop a true love of an art form that exists in every country on our planet.
In addition, students of music learn to take direction from their teachers and work as a cohesive group. They develop lifelong skills which they can be proud of and they provide performances that enrich their communities.
Limiting music education and performance at any school will impact its community at large. Music is a valuable art form and an excellent means of students learning to work together in order to achieve a common goal.
Students that perform music in the community learn life skills. They learn how to work as a group to enrich people’s lives. Music instruction is much more than just another class at school.
We should endeavor to promote music in all its forms, so performers, students and community members can continue to benefit from all that music can provide.