BONUS: Highlighting Save the Music for Podcasthon

Hey, it's Matt and I'm dropping a bonus episode of Loud Lit this week because I'm (0:08) participating in the fourth edition of Podcasthon. For one week, thousands of (0:13) podcasts will highlight a charity of their choice. Today, I'm talking about the (0:18) Save the Music Foundation.

In an earlier Loud Lit episode, I mentioned the James (0:23) DeWitt Yancey Foundation, which was created in memory of the late beat maker (0:27) extraordinaire J Dilla. Part of what the foundation does is raise money to (0:32) support music education in Detroit by offering a J Dilla music tech grant (0:36) through Save the Music. So for this episode, I decided to highlight the (0:40) larger Save the Music Foundation.

king music. It was started in: 1997

In (1:09) addition to investing in school music programs, they also support music (1:12) teachers with professional development opportunities and online resources and (1:17) they advocate for music education on the local and national level. Now you may be (1:20) thinking, okay music programs are nice to have but is it really that important for (1:25) education? The answer is yes. Music has a tremendous impact on child development.

(1:31) It helps with motor skills, reading comprehension, hearing, and interpersonal (1:34) communication. Studies have shown high correlations between playing music in (1:39) school and higher self-confidence, better grades, increased attendance, and reduced (1:44) discipline referrals. If you think music programs should be cut as a way to trim (1:49) budgets, just remember that all these positive effects help children become (1:53) better professionals as adults.

That has a positive economic impact. Cutting back (1:58) on music education is a short-term move that creates negative effects in the (2:03) long term. You can find more information including encouraging case studies and (2:07) links to academic papers at SaveTheMusic.org. Let me tell you, I don't (2:11) need scientific studies to convince me that music is good for kids.

I've (2:16) experienced it personally. I'm not talking about myself. I wish I had learned an (2:20) instrument when I was growing up, especially now that I see how music has (2:24) impacted my son.

He's been playing percussion in his school band since (2:28) elementary school and watching him learn and improve has been incredible. He's now (2:33) in high school and part of the marching band which has been such a positive (2:36) experience for him. He's made some great friends, he's honed his skills in (2:40) multiple percussion instruments, and he's learned about commitment, discipline, and (2:45) camaraderie, all while boosting his academic abilities and self-confidence.

(2:49) I'm proud of him for so many reasons, but a big one is his dedication to (2:54) playing music. All children deserve a chance to succeed in life and I believe (2:57) that surrounding them with books and musical instruments from the very start (3:01) is a great way to set them on the right track. Save the Music has helped make (3:05) that a reality for many children, but there are still too many students who (3:09) don't have access to music programs.

If you want to help change that, visit (3:13) SaveTheMusic.org and make a donation today. (3:17) That wraps up this special episode of Loud Lit as part of Podcasthon. If you (3:22) enjoyed it, feel free to visit Podcastthon.org, that's P-O-D-C-A-S-T-H-O-N.org (3:29) to discover many other charities through the voices and talents of amazing (3:34) podcasters.

I'll put links to Podcasthon and Save the Music in the show notes. (3:38) My name is Matt Reno, thanks for listening to Loud Lit. To help others (3:42) find the show, leave a 5-star rating and review and hit subscribe in your (3:46) podcast app.

Until next time, keep reading, keep rocking.