Keep music in Mill Valley schools

Please keep the music program

Please don't cut the music program. Music and art are NOT extras.

Both our son at MVMS and our daughter at Park School are involved in school music programs that have had and continue to have a huge impact on their young lives. The teachers are outstanding and the ensembles far exceed school music programming they have received in Palo Alto Schools as well as Private school programming when we lived in New York. The dedication and remarkable talent that Mill Valley Music Teachers possess make music education fun and engaging. It is one of the many reasons why our family is grateful to live in this creative community. Please do not reduce music education in any way. If anything expand it!

Please keep music in the schools.

The Music Technology class at MVMS with Mr. Carnahan is top notch!

My son has participated in elementary at Old Mill, and now at MVMS. His musical education gives him something to master outside of sports and has been invaluable to his development. And playing in an orchestra is such a rare experience for a child (difficult to duplicate). Please do not cut this program.

My son's music experience from Edna to MVMS to now, Tam High, has been amazing. Please do not cut these vital programs.

My Son and Daughters have participated in the MV schools Music Department from elementary, middle school and now in High School. It is imperative and important that we continue this important curriculum as it benefits the students and the MV community.

Music for youth is critical for right and left brain development, it is also mathematical. Please do not cut music, it’s so important to our children and their future growth.

The music program has been the highlight of my son's experience @ MVMS.

The music program is too important to be cut! Keep the music playing!

Music education is vital to our children's education, numerous studies have shown huge beneficial effects affecting many areas of learning incl. language, listening & math skills, creativity, stress reduction, self-esteem...etc.etc - pls reconsider!!

Our current music program enriches the lives of each of its students building cross-school and cross-age friendships and vastly increases its students' horizons. It teaches discipline, focus, self control and the benefits of hard work, and a sense of beauty, self-expression, self-esteem, and an appreciation of the contributions others make. It teaches us how to work at a precise and high level with others. These clear and mutually supporting benefits enable music students to become better middle school students in other activities. Are there no musicians on the Board? Can the Board not appreciate that all students male or female, young or mature, learning centre or non learning centre, can become more motivated and all round better students through music enhancing the schools reputation? It creates happiness, creativity and enjoyment which flow into wellbeing at school. Mill Valley District is well known in Marin music circles as having a wonderful music program, with wonderful teachers in all music forms which other schools are trying to replicate. Why, when you have such an efficient and well known music program, with strings teachers like Ms Dong who are renowned throughout Marin, would you be prepared to run the risk of incapacitating it through such ill-thought out plans? String students simply cannot be taught in the early stages together - that does not work, as they are playing different instruments, different timings, different notes, different melodies. This is a rather Machiavellian abuse of our hard earned kiddo funds to entertain cutbacks of the type proposed. Why should we parents support the school with additional donations, if the schools will not support our students music programs? My donations are ringbarked for the music program. You should be seeking to expand your music programs, not cutting them. If you have reduced enrollment, then you will be saving costs on other elements which means you should have more of our kiddo

Music is so important to young children in so many ways!!! Expression, creativity, and a life long passion that can be nurtured and developed through exposure. Please do not cut music!!! How can the world survive without music!!!

Access to incredible music programs is crucial - please reconsider the cuts to the program.

Playing an instrument benefits the brain, provides a life skill, better prepares the CVs of students advancing their educations and teaches the importance of disciplined practice in learning generally.

This strong music program should be prioritized, not first on the chopping block.

My fourth grader has developed such a love of the violin and music under Phoebe Dong's instruction, and the dedicated attention that the small class size allows has been crucial to her learning and development. A cut to the music program would hurt so many children in our school district. Please keep this wonderful program.

Music is, and always will be integral in the creative development of children and adults alike.

The elementary school music program has been a huge positive impact on my two boys and it would be short-sighted and a huge step backward to make the proposed cuts.