Excellence in Music - Shar Interviews Laurie Niles

May 5, 2024 at 12:27 PM · Interesting to hear that you, Laurie, has a background both as a violinist and as a journalist. I think that that kind of explains how you can manage this site violinist.com so well. You have the knowledge of two very different worlds and that is a great combination.

May 5, 2024 at 08:02 PM · I was lucky to begin my intro to the violin in the 1st grade of my elementary school in Nashville in 1935.

A part of the excellent music program at the time included the opportunity to have violin lessons before the beginning of the regular school day.

I retired from the San Diego public schools in 1989 after 37 years in public education. During these years I saw music education being cast aside every time there was a need to reduce the cost of educating the children. I had continually fought for keeping good music programs in the schools in order to raise the revered test scores of the students. My efforts never succeeded and music education, particularly instrumental music continued to be reduced over and over.

If we could only get good music programs back in the schools not only would interest in playing be increased, but also Math and general education test scores would rise. This is more than an opinion, it's fact. In recent years experiments in several schools and school districts have proven the point.

I am proud to say I 've continued to be a supporter of these programs. A few years ago a local school district put out an appeal for instrument donations which could be repaired and then loaned to low income students. I quickly donated the fine little 1920's German 1/2 violin on which I had learned. It was difficult to give it up after all those years but I was happy that it might be the reason some child might become the new Heifetz, my idol.

I'm now 95 and still hoping these things can happen.

Jim Noel

May 6, 2024 at 03:45 AM · Jim, I believe you are absolutely correct. Getting good music programs back in the schools is the only step that will truly make a difference.