From the 34 TH Annual Music in Our Schools Program insert:

Paul Simon: [U.S. Senator]; "We cannot forget that music is an integral part of a student's development..."

We understand that media's job is to report activity, not to take a specific side on an issue. Yet, we would like to thank YourHub.com for their continued support in providing a media outlet to report the achievements of the outstanding Band and Chorus programs at Hidden Oaks Middle School, as well as all other schools in Martin County. As we can all appreciate, the students (as well as parents and volunteers) cherish the memories afforded having their child recognized for his or her accomplishments. Furthermore, it is all too rare indeed that the press reports the "good deeds" of today's youth.

We, as community members have been encouraged by YourHub.com to express our opinions, news, stories on events, fundraisers and outstanding achievement awards.

YourHub.com has been an invaluable channel for communicating performances, fundraisers and creating community awareness and involvement. YourHub has also been responsible for providing an avenue that fosters community support and public school music advocacy.

We appreciate their continued support of the high quality Band and Chorus programs offered by the Hidden Oaks Middle School, and appreciate their understanding that, "Recent research supports what parents and teachers know in their hearts - that music education is a vital part of a complete education," commented Jeannie Ferrara, President of the Hidden Oaks Band Boosters Association, a local group that advocates music in all public school curricula. "Once parents understand how music can help their children grow, they become strong supporters of our school music programs. This is a national trend that we're happy to see is alive and well in Martin County."

Furthermore, one study revealed that young children who received a year of musical training showed brain changes and superior memory compared with children who did not receive the instruction. "It is very interesting that the children taking music lessons improved more over the year on general memory skills that are correlated with nonmusical abilities - such as literacy, verbal memory, visiospatial processing, mathematics and IQ - than did the children not taking lessons," said Laurel J. Trainor, researcher of the study at McMaster University in Canada. Fujioka, Ross, Kakigi, Pantev and Trainor. Brain, a Journal of Neurology. Oxford University Press, September 2006.

Without the support of local media like YourHub.com, it would be very difficult to reach our entire community. With such a specialized distribution area, we have found that our organization can now "go green" with Association communications, and are enabled to function in support of such an outstanding program. Due to the verynature of the Band classes and programs, are that the student ratio tends to be very high relative to academic classes. Many times, a music or chorus director will have more than one hundred students in any given day, perhaps as many as 50 to one hundred students at one time. With limited budgets, music directors more often than not, do not have a classroom aid, and rely heavily upon parental involvement in the form of "Booster Clubs". Without the direct participation from the parents, music programs rarely succeed in any community. The added benefit to the children is that the nature of the programs themselves requires parental involvement. Throughout the nation, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), and many other such organizations have heavily documented the benefits to a child where one or both parents are directly involved in his, or her education. Parental involvement creates student success. This type of familial involvement that is afforded through the relationships between the students also fosters camaraderie among the families. Many times as the students friendships grow, the parents also develop friendships from getting to know each other and depending on each other. These relationships develop from common interests and create a sense of security that ultimately is one of the most important aspects of parents being involved.

As the Director of the Heritage Music Festivals (in Orlando, Fl. April 2008) stated, "It is not merely the talent of the students, nor the dedication of the Band Director that makes a truly successful Band program, it is the involvement of the parents".

YourHub, we cannot thank you enough!!

Parents and others interested in finding out more about music-making and healthy development can contact Jeannie Ferrara at 772-287-7566 or go to www.SupportMusic.com.