Do you support athletic scholarships and college sports?

[calimary]

33. I dunno - depends on when those concerts are scheduled.

If they're on the weekends, or something set up in the quad during lunchtime, I don't see the harm in it, really. Music is also education. Some argue, citing scientific studies, that music education enables virtually every other kind of education. It activates the synapses, empowering and exercising the mind. Enhances reasoning, creativity, flexibility, discernment, and memory, and lots of other good things. I interviewed Shari Lewis about that, once. Yeah, THAT Shari Lewis - of Lampchop and kiddie show fame. She was quite the Renaissance woman, producer, writer, singer, musician, raconteur, symphony conductor, on-camera talent, teacher, advocate. She was BIG on music education in all schools because of how it helped students' brain development and helped them learn. Cut back music programs in schools and you wind up screwing students in math comprehension and excellence. In verbal expression. And then you're deep into the English department, too. She felt music education in schools from the youngest grades was an absolute essential. I couldn't agree more.

Besides, make it a fund-raiser and the school gets some extra money. And there's PR value. James Taylor tonight? Who knows who it might be next weekend. At my son's high school, part of the school lore was that Slash had gone there as a freshman. Those boys would have LOVED for Slash to come back by to visit his school and maybe play something. They'd have paid admission for it, and eagerly so. Might mean more money for equipment in the music room or something.

Full disclosure here - I'm one of those who'd much rather see big money donated for and spent on the arts programs at my son's school. My son was a music nerd. The most athletic activity he ever got into was karate - and some fairly extreme and quite physical guitar playing. So that's the filter through which I see these things.