Jessica Baron
This is Jessica Baron. Or Jess. Hers is officially the first non-friend story I’m telling. Everybody up to this point has been a personal friend of mine. I found her by going to this website called www.Google.com … and typed in “San Diego Organizations” … and VOILA! There was a massive list of stories to be told. I scanned quickly and when I saw the word “guitars” mixed in a bunch of other words, I knew I had to tell this story.
Jess is the founder of something extraordinary called Guitars In The Classroom, a non-profit started in 1998 that creates a marriage between music and education. All this, done by training classroom teachers to integrate strumming/singing and song-based learning into lessons. Basic music stuff that, secretly, is easy to do but oh so pretty and pleasing to the ears. Music stuff that, at least here in California, is quickly getting chopped from the classroom curriculum due to the budget cuts. So apparently music is not deemed important enough to keep, but let me tell you something, it is important.
There you have it.
So the contact that Jess is making with Guitars In The Classroom, is that contact, or time spent, between educators and students. How much time is that? Over 1,000 hours per year. A LONG TIME! Long story short, music has been proven to help improve test scores. Which in turn improves the overall quality of a school.
Side note: When at-risk schools’ test scores improve, the school can maintain or improve its status with the state; its funding can be spared from performance-related cuts, and children will benefit. Half of GITC programs are in these “Title 1” schools helping kids engage creatively with learning so they can do better in every way.
On top of the children gaining from this, the teachers who are being spread thin or forced to teach subjects out of their specialty area are able to therapeutically take a “time out” to play a little music. It’s a mutually beneficial situation.
Jess’ desire, since day one of this program, has been to share music. According to the Guitars In The Classroom website, 25 states are currently participating! The great thing is, there is a ton of room to grow. Guitars In The Classroom makes it easy.
They are into recycling guitars! They provide teachers in their programs with free loaner guitars and encourage teachers to re-purpose guitars their schools acquired in the past but haven’t been using. GITC also works with their sponsor companies to offer subsidies so teachers can affordably purchase guitars at a discount. And here’s a doozie, they help to teach the teachers how to teach. Yup, I just said that. Don’t know how to play but love music AND your students? Do it.Need another reason to get involved? Well, this is a big one. Guess who is behind this all the way? Jack Johnson. You know, the laid-back, Hawaii-lovin’ rock star who sings about banana pancakes … yeah, that guy. He’s helping to get the Hawaiian team started.
Who else? George Winston. Makana. If you appreciate music, you’ll know these two names. If not, look them up.
I don’t even know where to go from here. Jess warned me, when we first started talking, that four minutes would never be enough. She was right, I can go for days on this topic. I love music. Jess loves music. You love music, I know you do. Let’s talk about how you can help out. Are you a teacher? Most of my friends are, and I hope they are reading this right now. Better yet, are you a famous musician? A few of my friends do that as well, get in on this now. You’ll be glad you did. Are you rich? Donate. Guitars aren’t cheap, but GITC has a connection to get them for cost so more kids can get their hands on these things.
Alaska & Afghanistan are in the works. Those places are far from home. Both are basically in Russia. (Oh, I went there.) Music is world-wide. Music helps. Can Guitars In The Classroom be a part of your story? Head over to the website and explore. There’s a lot of great info! I wish I could tell you more.
…And that’s Jessica Baron’s Four (or more) Minute Story.
