Snow City Arts Foundation, An Organization we think You Should Know! Power of Music of Music and Finding You Own Beat   A letter from the Editor: Arts, Healing and the Power in Getting Involved by M.E. LaLuna "Healing relies on an openness to the whole; a willingness to relinquish whatever frustrates or delays -- mistaken ideas, negative feelings, poor diet, inadvisable lifestyle -- and to accept a wider spectrum of responses with new ideas, experience, and priorities. Healing is communication; and music, in its universal nature, is total communication. In the deepest mysteries of music are the inspirations, the pathways, and the healing which lead to one-ness and unity." Olivea Dewhurst-Maddock, Sound Therapy The importance of Art education is often times over looked and minimized at best in this nation.  It seems the more we learn about Multiple Intelligence (Howard Gardner), the power of music to heal and elevate test scores, the arts are the first areas to be cut in our schools.  At a time when we need to be embracing the whole child, we discover that our focus in education turns predominately to reading, writing and arithmetic, eliminating that which can enliven, embrace and nurture the whole child.  It is a holistic approach to education, and is minimized within our school systems daily.  I realize the importance of all of the three primary areas of academia, as I am a teacher.  But, I am also a musician, was raised by an artist, and have seen dance move my daughter from a wheel chair to a tap-dancer on the stage!  Yes, I see the power of the arts in my personal life daily.  As an educator I see the outcast become confident and proud, the stutterer suddenly smoothly sing, the sick child smile as a familiar tune is sung.  We know that one of the greatest ways to teach a child how to read is by singing.   In order to highlight the importance of getting involved in your communities through the arts there is included in separate links two featured articles.   Whether you are a musician, a poet, an artist (all mediums will do) a dancer, a philosopher, a writer, or a lover of the arts, you are needed. “At the deepest level, the creative process and the healing process arise from a single source.  When you are an artist, you are a healer; a wordless trust of the same mystery is the foundation of your work and its integrity.” Rachel Naomi Remen, MD. Please take the time and take a look at these two areas in your community.  Ask what they are doing to nurture the whole child.  1) Your school systems:  Find out how often the children have music, art, dance, multi-media outlets.  Does your school offer equitable music education to all of the children that are served?  Do the children get exposed to fine arts? Then contact your state boards of education.  Identify how many hours of art and music that your state has mandated they receive. Does your state have in place mandatory endorsement, or experience in the arts. Is it taught as a curriculum or merely as an optional enrichment program after they have their “core” subject.  Find out if your school system has implemented best practice in the areas multiple intelligence and/or differentiated instruction.  Ask questions.  2) Find out if your local hospitals and health care facilities are making use of the musicians and artists in your community.  Are they implementing research in the area of wellness?  Do they have in place child-life development that utilizes professionals?  Are they utilizing up-to-date research in the area of holistic medicine?  Are they using their facilities to embrace the whole child, especially a child who is chronically ill and in many cases missing out on the arts do to their frequent absence (The National Survey of Child Health recognizes that each year in Illinois 103,800 children miss extended amounts of school because of their need for medical treatment. ) One of ArtSeesDiner featured organization is Snow City Arts.  Please take the time to read more about this organization and the fine work they are doing in Chicago, find out how you can become more involved.  Snow City Arts An Organization we think You Should Know! Power of Music of Music and Finding You Own Beat       The Power of Music and Finding Your Own Beat As I approached my heart quickened with the sound of drums, all sorts of drums keeping a steady 4 – 4 pattern.  Not all the patterns were the same, some of them fast, others slow, the timbre was varied but the rhythm was sustained.  I turned the corner to find children dancing with anticipation over the possibility of getting to hold stick in hand. The growing fervor of drum and beat was moving them beyond containment.  Weaving my way through little ones, no taller than my thigh, I looked past the man at the door, ahead to see a circle, and an inner-circle where adults all focused on their task, the task to blend their independent pattern to greater meaning.  Amidst the growing turbulence was a peace. Those sharing their beat were calm, peace shown on their faces.  They were one with a greater power.  “If a man loses pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured, or far away. ” H.D. Thoreau There was no fear of losing pace with companions.  It was a safe zone, a place where individuality was brought together in a circle, a continuum, and so the music played on.  I was asked at one point (we all were) did I experience any enlightenment?  Yes, I did, for one brief moment my dream of being a drummer was fulfilled.  For that one moment in my own continuum I was free, free to pound out “my” rhythm, my existence was real. I was free to be me and part of the band. I set out on a path yesterday to join a friend who is giving his entire life to establishing a Music Wellness Initiative, Eric Myrzyn, Board President.  My commitment is to spread the word about the power of music and its impact of wellness.  I have had the privilege of being a musician with an organization that made a commitment to bring music to those who are battling illness.  I have seen firsthand the power of music as a healing tool.  The undeniable power of music to bring people together, to transcend hatred, pain, cruelty, brokenness and to bring about unbridled joy is evident.  Yesterday I was supposed to be an observer.  I was just someone bringing back information and hopefully a degree of clarity to a man who seeks to promote wellness.  I came away with far more.  I was inspired again.  Music is a common language.  Music is a language that holds unifying power.   The organization that sponsored the drum circle and day of music melding towards greater understanding is Music Crossroads through a Recreational Music Making Partnership, located in Indianapolis Indiana, the crossroads of the United States.  It was pointed out to me that music recreation is that of being “re-created” through music.  No matter whether a child hearing a familiar song, or a performer learning a new musical phrase, a guitarist focusing on attaining that difficult chord, a drummer with a new progression, you enter into the movement one way and exit re-created.  My kudos go out to Matt Carter of Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association, John Fitzgerald of Remo, Inc  for leading the “marchers” and providing the percussion instruments, The Shepherd Community Center for sharing their space and the thigh high percussionist,  The Indianapolis Foundation, inspiring philanthropy and Albert Schnazi of Integrated Solutions for facilitating an afternoon of enlightened dialogue.  It is no mistake that yesterday morning as I was reading scripture and asking the Lord what He wanted me to know that day that he brought me to 2Chronicles 34:12 “All those (Levites) who were skillful with musical instruments were in charge of those who carried burdens, and they directed all the workers in every kind of labor…” yes, we are called.  If the Lord calls musicians to lighten the load, make the burden less, then I guess that is the who in the vast puzzle of life, and I indeed was enlightened! by, Mary E. LaLuna (this is a reprint from an article written a year ago.  It still has power today)  VoParchives