This is a special post to the musicians who are in High School Marching Bands in Beaverton, and to parents of musicians:

Are you frustrated that you won’t be able to make your opinion known at the School Board meeting on Monday night about the cuts and confusion that have surrounded Marching Band this month? You can be present at the meeting through this petition–we will take the signatures and comments of everyone who ‘likes’ and if you desire, comment on, this letter to the School Board directly. One great aspect of this letter is that even though you’ll have to miss the meeting, all Marching Band musicians across the District can come together and speak as one. Of course, please feel free to add anything you want in your comment. We want everyone’s voices to be heard, especially those of the students, who are the most crucial stakeholders of all.

If you are a Marching Band parent, you are also most welcome to sign and comment. Please indicate that you’re a parent in your reply.

So please sign onto this, add anything you want to make sure gets said and **pass this to all the band members you can**! Feel free to sign on behalf of any band members you know who don’t happen to have facebook, but who have read the letter and want to join in.

EVEN if you CAN make the meeting, for instance if your Band Camp is over in time to get to the meeting at 6:30, you can still sign the petition to show solidarity and then come in person as well–that would be great!

Here it is:

To the School Board and Superintendent Rose:

We are student musicians in Beaverton high school marching bands. Our lives were thrown into turmoil this past summer by the badly-managed cuts in music at our high schools. Thankfully, we are now at marching band camp, as the bands were allowed to continue, although with many fewer members. Some schools rehired laid-off teachers and some hired outside contractors, rather than keeping our beloved, experienced teachers/Band Directors. While we’re thankful for marching band season, hiring contractors at the last minute is no way to run a music program that will retain its award-winning record, and it reminds us all over again how precious our music programs and teachers are.

Although we can’t attend the School Board meeting on Monday, we want the Board and Supt. Rose to know we will be there in spirit. As students, we know that music is *a core academic subject* and we want our music classes and groups brought back fully as soon as possible. Why? Because no single activity in school is stronger than music education; nothing grows more aspects of our experience as developing individuals and as community members. Music should be a *top* priority in the school budget at all levels because it is proven, beyond dispute, to build creative, innovative, disciplined leaders in every walk of life.

We want our younger brothers and sisters—and every generation to come—to have the benefits that we have had from music as part of their own Beaverton public school education. We ask you to reverse your destructive choices about music immediately and restore some of the best learning that Beaverton schools have to offer.