Edible kicked in.

So there's only one thing in public school...okay not entirely true, there were a couple of things in public school I really liked and missed when returning to Catholic school. I want to talk about one.

Music.

cash app is in my bio if you feel like tipping. Otherwise always thanks for listening.

SOOOOOO....

Catholic school, or at least the ones I attended, had no music programs. At all. None until high school (and then it wasn't mandatory and it was band and newp I sure didn't)

I had friends in band, I'm not being snobby. But I don't think a single person in band didn't already know an instrument.

I wouldn't even hang out with them or go to their practices because the band director was SUCH a perv. Super gross. Anyhoo.

In public school we had 2 music programs I got to experience.

The first was what they did for the youngest kids. Which was singing and learning the recorder.

Our teacher, who's name I cannot recall, I adored. She was the best. And she taught literally like 150 kids at once

K-3 were all there, as I recall. So it was like an assembly. She taught via a projector. So she'd sing it for us once, then put up the notes and lyrics and we'd sing it with her.

And the song list was AMAZING, the cultural diversity unbelievable. Which I didn't know or

appreciate at the time.

These songs are still songs I sing to myself, like around the house or around people I'm super comfy with when doing other things. Which is how I found out those songs were all various cultural songs from negro spiritual songs, Jewish songs, German songs

More than one song were words we didn't know because they were in other languages.

NONE of this in Catholic schools. Our music was singing from the hymnal when we went to Mass once a week as a class in the morning.

And learning the recorder gives you the foundation for reading notes and learning to play an instrument.

Unfortunately I had only one year of this class, because I'd come from another state and into a public school for the first time.

SO THEN IT WAS PICK AN INSTRUMENT.

Which had to be string because of my age. So I picked violin.

And I couldn't read music for shit. And that was expected to be known at this point.

And because I could NOT read music by sight ...to save my life...

I came up with a translation system I could read. And I'd simply translate the notes into my system and play off that.

BECAUSE THAT WAS SOMEHOW EASIER FOR ME IDK WTF

But then it was back to Catholic school, and no access to any music teaching/lessons.

Or art...beyond uh coloring saint's books and doing random crafts like making a pencil holder bullshit.

Until high school and even then the arts education was pathetically bad. :(

But also the arts aren't considered essential education by many (which is completely wrong).

Unfortunately without early access to stuff...even if you get access later, it can be hard or impossible to catch up. Even if you have a gift or talent in that area (I don't)

Good education and access is essential.

Mine was a dearth created by choice. The choice of my parents for religious education. The choice of the Catholic dioses on what was important to teach. Etc. etc.

But so many kids today, especially Black children and children of color and children of poverty...don't have access or good access to so many educational things that make a huge difference. Not so much for 'oh they'd be a great musician'. I absolutely would never be.

But it ...

tremendously embiggens one's world, and trains your brain in so many ways. You learn that practice is necessary for advancement. You learn the accomplishment of mastering something hard. You find JOY in music, and sound.

It's a jigsaw puzzle piece that may not be the center picture or the main element, but it's an essential piece in building the picture of self.

And lack of that at early stages ...even if it's granted LATER sets up people to fail.

Having that access, and having it so for granted you never even thought about it otherwise to boot?

Is privilege.