We have received this report from Taryn Luterbach, who runs a boutique artist management agency from the town of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada .
Regina is a small city of less than 300,000 people, but we have a professional orchestra and a small arts community. We are facing a music education crisis in Saskatchewan. Music in school is incredibly important . I do not come from a musical family and there is no way I would have ever got where I am if I hadn’t the opportunity in elementary school to learn an instrument and play in wind band.
As a result of largely ideology-based political choices our provincial government has chosen to underfund public education for many years. Choices are being made that favour funding sports academies over maintaining music programs. Last year the Regina Public School board voted to cut the number of elementary school band teachers by 30%, this year they have notified even more band teachers that they will not be teaching band in the fall, further reducing the number by 40%. If this is approved the ratio of student to band teacher will be 200 to 1.
I have a five year old daughter who will be entering school next year and it is so upsetting to me to think of the possibility of her missing out on being able to experinence making music with her friends and all the other gifts that go along with this essential part of a quality education. I have started a petition and in only 24 hours I have already gotten 1400 signatures which is significant given our population.
Here is a link to the petition
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