Funding for Jazz and Co-Curricular Programs

To:  Ithaca City School District Board Members

Dear Ithaca Board,

It is obvious that in these difficult fiscal times, cuts to programs are simply inevitable. We appreciate the magnitude and difficulty of the task with which you are faced. Being in a position to make choices regarding the very existence of worthy programs is undesirable, and rightly so.

That being said, we strongly urge you to reconsider eliminating the district's existing middle school and high school jazz programs. Each of us can say, honestly and without exaggeration, that the Ithaca jazz program has been a fundamental component in making us who and what we are today.

On a theoretical level, music generally, and jazz in particular, demands the very combination of rote learning, creative thinking and self-discipline that is crucial for success. Jazz is a unique American art form and a powerful lens through which American history and culture become vivid, personal and real. In an environment increasingly dominated by standardized testing and quantitative measures, it becomes all the more important to engage students emotionally and creatively. Finally, having a vibrant community of active musicians is invaluable and Ithaca has long been known for its support of the arts and the quality of life that encompasses that decision.

On a practical level, participating in the jazz program has helped each of us professionally. Some of us are professional musicians and music professors and, absent the jazz program, would simply not have the fundamental skills required for our careers. Many of us have embarked in careers that, one might think, have nothing to do with jazz, only to discover our jazz backgrounds to be powerful assets. It animates us, defines us, and has, quite literally, gotten us jobs. We have learned time and again that our passion for music, cultivated during out time as students of the Ithaca School District, has made us more interesting, more dynamic people, and that these traits have, in a very real sense, opened countless doors. The jazz/arts programs have profoundly shaped our lives. Eliminating these programs would be a terrible disservice, academically, socially and professionally, to the district's current and future students, and to our local and larger communities as a whole. We ask you, please, do whatever you can to assure the survival of this unique American art form and grant the funding necessary to foster its growth in our public schools.

This letter is a brief summary of our views. A website and facebook page was created to channel the outpouring of support from our community and to direct you to websites and bios of IHS jazz alumni. Please take a look - we are certain that you will be moved by our reflections and music.


www.SaveIthacaJazz.org


We thank you in advance for your consideration and, again, truly appreciate your efforts during these difficult times.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Funding for Jazz and Co-Curricular Programs Petition to Ithaca City School District Board Members was created by Save Ithaca Jazz and written by Dan Janis and Paul Merrill (pm75@cornell.edu).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.