“Schools have really shifted their focus to testing, and music...

“Schools have really shifted their focus to testing, and music has really become more of an extracurricular activity. It’s almost treated like a sport. My class used to last almost an hour. Now it’s down to thirty minutes. By the time the kids get seated and settled, we’re almost out of time. It’s a shame, because music helps to teach focus and discipline. You really have to commit to an instrument to master it. There seems to be more of a ‘popcorn mentality’ among students today. As soon as something gets difficult, they’re onto something else.”