Student & Teachers

Following the Divas

Here are the patterns we played today [November 7th, 2011], is  from Famoudou Konatè’s book – Rhythm and Songs From Guinea.

Try singing them and playing them [on a table or your lap if you don't have a drum] while they’re still fresh in your hands and ears. I’ll keep adding the stuff we do each week to this post for you…. [and for you, if you can't be with us.]

Kuku Solo Patterns

From Famoudou Konatè – “Rhythm and Songs From Guinea”

………|1 . . . |2 . . . |3 . . . |4 . . .|

1. |s . . . |s . . . |s . . . |s . . . |   2x

2. s|b . . s|b . . s|b . . s|b t t s |   5x —-[the code begins with the slap before the ‘1’. The final slap replaces that.  Do not double up!

3. |b b t t | b b s . | b b t t | b b s .|   3x ----[the slap is a muffled slap. Keep your hand on the drum head on the 2^nd bass.]

4. |b . . s |s s . . |b . . . |b . . . | b . . s |s s . b |t . t . |t  t . . | 4x

5. b|t . b s| . s . b | t . b . | s . . b |   4x—- [the code begins with the bass before the ‘1’ and has a muffled slap.]

6. |t t s t | t s t t | s t t s |t t s . |b . . . | b . . . | b . . . | b. . . |   4x

7. |t s s t |s s t s | t s s t |s s t s | —- èchauffement

august 3rd, 2010 – Playing Together

Erik showed us this set of patterns from Manimou’s workshop this weekend:

|s . . s| s . b .| s . t t | s . b .| pattern A

|s . . s| s . t t | s . b s |s b t t | pattern B

Whew! That was great fun! It was great watching what experience taught each of us about how we pick up patterns. Those of us with a bit more time playing – especially playing West African music taught by West Africans – found that hearing the patterns and seeing them played was enough to get us playing ourselves. Erik showed us the rhythms. I am lucky to have had teachers who pushed me into learning how to transcribe what I heard in simple block format. I pulled out my giant graph paper and filled each of 16 squares with the proper note or space.  As Westerners, we tend to learn music visually.  Our newer students picked up the patterns very quickly with that.

We went through alternating rounds, half playing Pattern A four times, the other half of the group beginning with Pattern B. The idea is to drill the patterns in with repetition, play different patterns at the same time, hearing how they dance, call and interact with each other;  and to experience knowing –  internally and intuitively  -  how many FOUR is. Then we figured out how to work solo, or lead parts, into these new phrases.

My purpose is to help people play music. Drums are a great way to practice structure and improvisation without getting tangled up in chords!  We went back through the lesson on structure we did back on July 3rd. There is a common arrangement in Western music that makes for an interesting composition, and gives each player an opportunity to solo in turn. A “jam” doesn’t always have to sound like a drum circle.

So we played thusly:

pattern A [unison] 4x

pattern B [unison] 4x

pattern A [unison + 1st soloist ] 4x

pattern B [unison] 4x

pattern A [unison + 2nd soloist ] 4x  etc.

To add to the confusion, I suggested a variation on the 4th line of each pattern.

Well then…  sometimes, play is a lot of work.  To cool off, we whipped out Sunu for the first time ever on dununs and let the djembes do what ever would soothe them!

july 3rd, 2010 – Saturday Jam/Class

It’s starting to catch on!  Had a wonderful family show up today outside A Novel Adventure and after a bit of simple guidance  - Guided by Simplicity – we had a nice jam going.  After that, it was easy to divide the music into 4′s, then begin adding specific parts for a 4/4 song we play a lot – Moribayassa. There are always in a group, those who want a part to play and those who want to play a part.  Those who want a part to play get the one they can hold with the most confidence. Pulse, “And One”, “Six, Seven, Eight, One” or the phrase  b . t t|b . . s|  Our most tentative player, held the whole thing together with a strong pulse and the more adventurous players added the rest. We had a brand new drummer wailing on a great lead part she was creating on the spot. That was her part to play.  There is a place for everyone….

Class following was great!  There is a common structure in western music that groups fours into fours, and we played with that.  Like this:

[4 measures with a variation on the 4th] 2x, noodling for 4 measures, repeat. It is easier to hear and do, than explain.

|b . t  t|b . . s|^|b . t  t|b . . s|^|b . t  t|b . . s|^ |s . s .|t  t . s|

|b . t  t|b . . s|^|b . t  t|b . . s|^|b . t  t|b . . s|^ |s . s .|t  t . s|

|t h i s|i . s . |^|a l l . |p l a y|^|in . .|y o u r|^|own .|way .|

|do it |Twice |^|nudl|n i c e|^|i t .  is|o u r .|^|song o’|the day|

|b . t  t|b . . s|^|b . t  t|b . . s|^|b . t  t|b . . s|^ |s . s .|t  t . s|

|b . t  t|b . . s|^|b . t  t|b . . s|^|b . t  t|b . . s|^ |s . s .|t  t . s|

So we have a structure that starts at home, goes outside for a glance, then wanders around a bit before coming home again.  With that structure, improvisation has a place to play. It is more cohesive than a drum circle, where [hopefully] everyone is playing the same beat; we are all playing the same song, but adding our own inflection.

I seem to speak English as a second language and apparently have no first – except rhythm. Our common language. I am grateful and amazed when the people who take my classes are able to sort out what I am not very adeptly trying to share!  Thank you all!

june 29th, 2010 – Playing Together

I love that my Tuesday class lets me experiment on them.  Jam night is a good time for unfettered  play. I don’t have to gather a concept to share. I can drop the instructor role. Today, I was happy to play sticks on everything in the room, play dunun patterns in 7 and 10, and practice doing some speedyquick rolls on the djembe.  Tuesday is often like a bunch of kids in a room with no adult supervision, but with strong ear and capability to make what ever noises are happening, sound like music. Everyone in the room has learned to listen and respond to the sounds of the song being played, even if it is a song we’re making up on the spot. Everyone can tell when it’s “off”. And mostly, we all know how to fix it. It is usually as simple as retuning to the pulse and listening to the room again. If you go back to pulse – back to the simplest heartbeat –  you can always find your way….

And they do let me experiment on them.  I have a couple ideas I want to try for a large group of first timers.  People who don’t know they know how to play music with others.  I want to introduce a pattern – surreptitiously – and get them playing auxiliary percussion parts to this pattern without giving them a chance to think they cannot.  Right before their eyes, they will be playing a somewhat traditional West African rhythm and playing accessory parts!  When I approach this head on, people will often tell me how hard that is! They can’t!  They tell me they cannot before they try. So I do what I can to play them into being successful. Afterward, I tell them what they did!  People are much more amazing if you show them they are.

So. Does anyone read this stuff?  Let me know if you want the game plan I tried on the class tonight.

june 14th, 2010 – Rhythm Kids

Today, there were kids on the Grandmother drum!  It makes their magic come out….  it was a small class, just 2 boys [who are very boy-like!]  They started hands-only on the drum, and just feeling her thunder seemed to reverberate some awe into them. We all played on the drum together, at the same time. They took turns playing patterns against a pulse, then tried loud and soft beats, scratches, fingertips, wiping hands across and playing while  muting the drum in different places.  After a very loud beat, we all waited – in our own silence – for the drum’s voice to completely vanish.

So, these guys were so disciplined by the drum, I began pulling out other instruments: goat toes, donkey jaw, Vibra-tone, kalimba, singing bowl, water jar drum, rain stick – crazy stuff.  We passed each instrument around to get the sound and feel of it. Then we composed a song-on-the-spot.  No words for this….  After we played for a while, we talked about what images or feelings the song created.

This Grandmother drum has musical stories and pictures to share. Now you have to come for yourself….  some things cannot be remade with words.

june 8, 2010 – Playing Together

Oh I gotta tell ya!  Last night’s class was really, really good.  I am blessed to play with people who trust me and themselves and the spontaneity of the classes each week.

We started with Baba’s Warm-Up and then the same timing drill we did June 1^st. When we had eight people in the room, it was simple to get the phrases lined out, but when the 9^th person came in, we had work to do!  The practice is to play 2, 3, or 4 beats in time on a simple 4 pulse, two times, then two round of just pulse.

Like this: |oo|oo|oo|oo  ^ |oo|oo|oo|oo  ^ |o…|o…|o…|o… ^ |o…|o…|o…|o…

When John “Boom Boom” H.  came in, we all had to be more conscious of the phrase count.  Whoosh!  There is often a good bit of work involved in play!

Next we revisited Toro and Sofa as we did last week.  I have some really strong dunun players supporting the djembes and it sounded really solid.  We are not about fast and loud, so it was roomy and there was a nice amount of space and for solos and the addition of other instruments – guitar, horns, didge, etc. – to join in and weave their notes about and through ours.

We are often asked to play in public for events and parties, and when “FaillaDrums” is invited, I mean it to mean everyone in attendance. There is no separation of performer and audience.  But without foundation, this could end up just being noise! This is my foundation group.  We will be playing World Refugee Day on June 19^th. Our intention is that the rhythms we offer are accessible to everyone, and they feel welcomed to join us in joyful play!

june 7, 2010 – Rhythm Kids

First Rhythm Kids class at Eclectic Endeavors after the big move hiatus…. we got a couple new kids and missed some old ones.  It is always good when new kids get the run of the place, though. I showed them the instruments and let them go nuts just trying stuff out. Then we got the Hand Charts Book out and picked a new pattern to learn and mess around with… and established the foundations of listening.  If you’ve played with me, you’ve surely heard, “put your hands on your head if it helps you listen!” Well, these kids have a musician/drummer mom and they certainly knew their way around a song! By the end of the hour, there was great dancing, singing and smiling lingering in the air of our beautiful new home.  Thank you Nino!

june 5, 2010 – Saturday Celebration

Our first Saturday Celebration at A Novel Adventure was a blast!  The sun musta had his coffee bout the same time I did; we both emerged, shining just before 10am. Luis and I got set up outside and started playing, joined straight away by Miss Jen, with Delilah on her back and Finn at her side. They are familiar guests at the Saturday Family Jam and help fill pattern with more shakeys, bells and beats.  Oh, and then families came by, stood for a second, welcomed the welcome to participate, and the song began.  Beside us, a lovely woman was playing classical music on a clarinet. I asked her to join us, or at least move closer so we could compliment her beautiful note weaving, but she was happy to be in her musical space and delighted to share the area with us in ours. I am glad that music really does bring us together, even when we are simply allowing it to be…

The class following was perfect! I did the same ‘drill’ I did with the Tuesday students. Once again, it provided more skill practice than I wanted to explain.  But these folks knew intuitively what they were learning. I am so lucky for the company I keep….  We played Baba’s Warm-Up the usual way: First time through leading with our strong hand, second round with the other hand, focusing on timing – sounding like one drum, and the third time through alternating hands, and focusing on the sound of the notes. Our host, Mike, joined us [with his beautiful baby Jade] holding a strong, steady pulse.

After all that, we grabbed the Hand Charts Book and picked the pattern “Cascara”.  We use Bill Matthew’s version of this Latin stick pattern.  After we got the basic pattern down, we stopped the drumming of it, and just clapped it.  Then returning to the drums, we played the pattern again; this time changing the notes to fit our moment.  Then we noodled with it.  For me, everyone noodling on the same pattern is Drum Yum.  It is not random; it’s a song.

So… next week, we’ll start the class at 11:15 so I have time to regroup my stuff and my intentions. Come join us, yes?

june 1, 2010

Last night’s class was great. There were just a few of us; seasoned drummers. It was a good night for drills [something I wouldn't do with brand new drummers].  The exercise was to improve listening, timing, rolls and responsiveness.  In a circle – without any pauses or  rests – we played “tone – tone”. One right after the other. The idea was that is should sound like this looks:  o o|o o |o o |o o |o o |o o.  And it did.  The we went around again with 3 tones in the same time-space: ooo|ooo|ooo|ooo|ooo|ooo . Then four. Four is not so easy! Exercises like this seem to be good diagnostics. Everyone found for themselves, what and where their timing faltered.

Then we went through the rhythm called Toro. The first leg was to learn the pattern. t  t – b | s – s -| s – - b | s – s – |

Next we noodle.  Hold The Song and then play all over it. Everyone at once. Rhythmic brainstorming. Everyone plays something the song brought to their ears. I hear jazz and scat. Luis hears something Latin. Candace stays close to home and tosses in a well timed roll or two. Pam goes back and forth, adding notes and taking them out. John does the best Miles Davis I’ve ever heard….

Now we line out the dunun parts. Getting the foundation solid is the best way to launch improvisation. Having already worked on ‘solo’ parts, when the song was played all together, it sounded like we had made it our own! No djembe player hesitated when I asked them to take a lead. And so it should be….

Toro will be one of the songs we use as a base rhythm when we play at the Foothills Learning Center on June 23rd. It is one of the rhythms sheets we have listed and it’s in the Hand Charts book if you have that.

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Teachers, The crew from Failla Drums would love to come to your school for classes or assemblies. Please let us know!

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Ideas for Making Musical Instruments

* Comb Harmonica = waxed paper and comb

* Water Glass Chimes = Fill glasses with varying heights of water. The Blues Clues Rhythm and Blue videotape has a section using these. They call it a water xylophone. I’ve learned from experience to watch my three year old very closely at the dinner table after he’s watched the video.

* Drums = Anything hollow, with or without a head (oatmeal boxes, cans, pots and pans, etc.) The picture also shows some contributions from students. Thank you Preston for the pipe clickers. Tyler brought the seed pod shaker from Hawaii.

* Rain Stick = Use a cardboard mailing tube or heavy wrapping paper tube. Hammer a lot of nails into the sides so they extend to the center of the tube. The more nails, the longer the rain sounds last. Cap one end. Pour in some uncooked rice or dried beans. Cap the other end securely.

* Balloon Rattle Maracas = Paste (1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup glue mixed together) and newspaper. Layer glue soaked newspaper strips over a light bulb so it’s completely covered, even the metal base. Let it dry on waxed paper for a few days- it must be completely hard. Drop it gently on firm ground or cement. Shake!

= Make in same way as light bulb maracas

* Flying Balloons or Balloon Squeakers = Cut out a shape of something that flies (bird, bat, butterfly, airplane, etc.) from construction paper. Tape it to an inflated balloon with a loop of masking tape. Don’t tie the balloon. Hold the edge and let it squeak, then let it go and watch it fly around the room.

* Squeaky Birds = Attach a 2 foot piece of dental floss to the top of a plastic cup. The floss should extend from the middle of the cup as it is held upside down. Decorate the cup to look like the face of a bird. Tie a 2 inch piece of sponge to the other end of the dental floss. Wet the sponge and pull it down the dental floss to create a squeak.

* Kazoo = Waxed paper and cardboard tube and rubber band. Add humming…

* Paper Plate Shakers = Punch holes around the edges of two paper plates, add something in the middle to shake (popcorn, beans, etc.) and lace together with yarn.

* Cymbals = Pan lids hit together. If you want to have pan lids exclusively for music, they can be purchased inexpensively at yard sales, Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. Pie pans can be used if you attach a small handle to the outside of each one. (This makes a good excuse for a Cyrus O’Leary’s pie or two.)

* Coconut Shells = Cut the coconut with a saw. Bake each half in the oven until the meat begins to shrink away from the shell. Carefully scrape out the white meat and save the shell for sound effects.

* Bells = String on elastic, ribbon, or thread on a wooden spoon with holes drilled in it. If bells are put on elastic, they work well to wear on ankles and practice marching. They can also simulate Native American dancing bells.

* Gourds = Just let them dry naturally.

* Gongs = Suspend an old metal tray or hub cap. Use a wooden spoon as a mallet. For a softer sounding mallet, wrap one end of a stick with yarn to make a small ball. Cover the yarn ball with a layer of old pantyhose and tie securely.

* Pan Pipes = Cut straw of varying lengths and tape together. Blow across the top.

* Pan Pipes II = Use plastic tubing and modeling clay. Cut three tubes the following lengths: 5 inches, 4 1/2 inches, and 3 3/4 inches. Place a little wad of modeling clay in one end of each pipe. Tune by adding more clay. Put the tubes together with modeling clay and tape on the outside to hold in place.

* Bottle Flutes = Blow across the tops of varying sizes of glass bottle. What is vibrating to make the sound? Partially fill some with water and see how the pitches change. Use a spoon and tap each bottle to see how the pitches change. What is vibrating now to make the sound? Note that the fuller the bottle, the higher the pitch when blown across, but it will have a lower pitch when tapped. Why? (Clue: different things are vibrating to set off the sound waves.)

* Box guitar = Cut a hole in the top of a shoe box, then put the top back on and tape it down. Tape a pencil over one end of the hole. Stretch a thin rubber band around the box so that it makes a tight, straight line over the pencil and the hole. Do the same thing with thicker rubber bands. Pluck the rubber bands gently.

* Garden Songs = Make chimes with clay flower pots, cord and wooden spoons

* Clay Pot Drum This clay pot was covered with a plastic film used by RC modelers for airplane coverings. When heated, the film shrinks and adheres. I put my pots in the oven to “Shrink.” A heat gun or blow dryer might also work.

* Rasp = Using a saw or pocket knife, cut notches on one side of a dowel. Add a smaller dowel to scrape across. If desired, rest the rasp on a resonator box (bleach bottle, cardboard box) while you play it.

* Nail Rasp = One block of wood, 16 nails of varying sizes, one large nail for strumming.

* Basket Rattle = Two small baskets + string + beads

* Pan Rattles = Put strings of beads in a pan and shake or wiggle the strings of beads.

* Sand Blocks = Two wood blocks+ sand paper

* Rhythm Sticks Use 1 foot sections of 3/4 or 1 inch doweling. Decorate with markers.

* Puili Sticks (Hawaiian Rhythm Sticks) = Slit pieces of bamboo almost to the end. Wrap the handle end with electricians tape.

* Walnut Castanets= Walnut + fabric tape + glue or drill two small holes in each walnut and thread small round elastic through them similar to finger cymbals.

* Pop Bottle Clickers = Tape old fashioned pop bottle caps to each of your fingers with a little loop of masking tape. You can use these as finger cymbals, castanets, or do a little tap dance with your hands. Vary the size of the bottle tops for different tones. Snapple lids have a real snap to them. I found the pop bottle caps at a store selling wine making supplies.

* Can Rattles and Shakers = Metal or cardboard can + rice, macaroni or beans. Stick handle optional. Pop cans or Pringles cans work well.

* Tin Pan or Plastic Tambourines = Tin pan or plastic lid + bottle caps or small bells + twine or pipe cleaners + hole punch
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Music Research – Kids

The pace of scientific research into music making has never been greater. New data about music’s relationship to brainpower, wellness and other phenomena is changing the way we perceive mankind’s oldest art form, and it’s having a real-world effect on decisions about educational priorities.

The briefs below provide a glimpse into these exciting developments. For a more in-depth treatment of current music science, visit The International Foundation for Music Research, and to see updates on the latest findings, check the “Build Your Case” section of SupportMusic.com.

Did You Know?
Middle school and high school students who participated in instrumental music scored significantly higher than their non-band peers in standardized tests. University studies conducted in Georgia and Texas found significant correlations between the number of years of instrumental music instruction and academic achievement in math, science and language arts.
Source: University of Sarasota Study, Jeffrey Lynn Kluball; East Texas State University Study, Daryl Erick Trent

Did You Know?
Students who were exposed to the music-based lessons scored a full 100 percent higher on fractions tests than those who learned in the conventional manner. Second-grade and third-grade students were taught fractions in an untraditional manner ‹ by teaching them basic music rhythm notation. The group was taught about the relationships between eighth, quarter, half and whole notes. Their peers received traditional fraction instruction.
Source: Neurological Research, March 15, 1999

Did You Know?
Music majors are the most likely group of college grads to be admitted to medical school. Physician and biologist Lewis Thomas studied the undergraduate majors of medical school applicants. He found that 66 percent of music majors who applied to med school were admitted, the highest percentage of any group. For comparison, (44 percent) of biochemistry majors were admitted. Also, a study of 7,500 university students revealed that music majors scored the highest reading scores among all majors including English, biology, chemistry and math.
Sources: “The Comparative Academic Abilities of Students in Education and in Other Areas of a Multi-focus University,” Peter H. Wood, ERIC Document No. ED327480
“The Case for Music in the Schools,” Phi Delta Kappan, February, 1994

Did You Know?
Music study can help kids understand advanced music concepts. A grasp of proportional math and fractions is a prerequisite to math at higher levels, and children who do not master these areas cannot understand more advanced math critical to high-tech fields. Music involves ratios, fractions, proportions and thinking in space and time. Second-grade students were given four months of piano keyboard training, as well as time using newly designed math software. The group scored over 27 percent higher on proportional math and fractions tests than children who used only the math software.
Source: Neurological Research March, 1999

Did You Know?
A McGill University study found that pattern recognition and mental representation scores improved significantly for students given piano instruction over a three-year period. They also found that self-esteem and musical skills measures improved for the students given piano instruction.
Source: Dr. Eugenia Costa-Giomi, “The McGill Piano Project: Effects of three years of piano instruction on children’s cognitive abilities, academic achievement, and self-esteem,” presented at the meeting of the Music Educators National Conference, Phoenix, AZ, April, 1998

Did You Know?
Data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 showed that music participants received more academic honors and awards than non-music students, and that the percentage of music participants receiving As, As/Bs, and Bs was higher than the percentage of non-participants receiving those grades.
Source: National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 First Follow-Up (1990), U.S. Department of Education.

Did You Know?
Research shows that piano students are better equipped to comprehend mathematical and scientific concepts. A group of preschoolers received private piano keyboard lessons and singing lessons. A second group received private computer lessons. Those children who received piano/keyboard training performed 34 percent higher on tests measuring spatial-temporal ability than the others ‹ even those who received computer training. “Spatial-temporal” is basically proportional reasoning – ratios, fractions, proportions and thinking in space and time. This concept has long been considered a major obstacle in the teaching of elementary math and science.
Source: Neurological Research February 28, 1997

Did You Know?
Young children with developed rhythm skills perform better academically in early school years. Findings of a recent study showed that there was a significant difference in the academic achievement levels of students classified according to rhythmic competency. Students who were achieving at academic expectation scored high on all rhythmic tasks, while many of those who scored lower on the rhythmic test achieved below academic expectation.
Source: “The Relationship between Rhythmic Competency and Academic Performance in First Grade Children,” University of Central Florida, Debby Mitchell

Did You Know?
High school music students score higher on SATs in both verbal and math than their peers. In 2001, SAT takers with coursework/experience in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and 41 points higher on the math portion than students with no coursework/experience in the arts.
Source: Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, compiled by Music Educators National Conference, 2001.

Did You Know?
College-age musicians are emotionally healthier than their non-musician counterparts. A study conducted at the University of Texas looked at 362 students who were in their first semester of college. They were given three tests, measuring performance anxiety, emotional concerns and alcohol related problems. In addition to having fewer battles with the bottle, researchers also noted that the college-aged music students seemed to have surer footing when facing tests.
Source: Houston Chronicle, January 11, 1998

Did You Know?
A ten-year study, tracking more than 25,000 students, shows that music-making improves test scores. Regardless of socioeconomic background, music-making students get higher marks in standardized tests than those who had no music involvement. The test scores studied were not only standardized tests, such as the SAT, but also in reading proficiency exams.
Source: Dr. James Catterall, UCLA, 1997

Did You Know?
The world’s top academic countries place a high value on music education. Hungary, Netherlands and Japan stand atop worldwide science achievement and have strong commitment to music education. All three countries have required music training at the elementary and middle school levels, both instrumental and vocal, for several decades. The centrality of music education to learning in the top-ranked countries seems to contradict the United States’ focus on math, science, vocabulary, and technology.
Source: 1988 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IAEEA) Test

Did You Know?
Music training helps under-achievers. In Rhode Island, researchers studied eight public school first grade classes. Half of the classes became “test arts” groups, receiving ongoing music and visual arts training. In kindergarten, this group had lagged behind in scholastic performance. After seven months, the students were given a standardized test. The “test arts” group had caught up to their fellow students in reading and surpassed their classmates in math by 22 percent. In the second year of the project, the arts students widened this margin even further. Students were also evaluated on attitude and behavior. Classroom teachers noted improvement in these areas also.
Source: Nature May 23, 1996

Did You Know?
“Music education can be a positive force on all aspects of a child’s life, particularly on their academic success. The study of music by children has been linked to higher scores on the SAT and other learning aptitude tests, and has proven to be an invaluable tool in classrooms across the country. Given the impact music can have on our children’s education, we should support every effort to bring music into their classrooms.”
Source: U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (NM)

Did You Know?
“The nation’s top business executives agree that arts education programs can help repair weaknesses in American education and better prepare workers for the 21st century.”
Source: “The Changing Workplace is Changing Our View of Education,” Business Week, October 1996.