-
The RTSD Music Department is committed to developing students’ understanding of music, enabling students to participate in performing and creating music, and establishing a foundation for students’ life-long engagement with music.
Providing music education for our children is an essential part of developing cultural literacy in this country. When people are culturally literate, it means that they can think about things on many different levels, consider things thoroughly, and make choices based upon an understanding of things spoken and unspoken. It means that people can be articulate about their ideas and feelings. It means they can promote excellence in all areas.There is no place that develops these skills like the study of music. Music enhances the education of our children by helping them make connections and broadening the depth with which they think and feel. If we are to hope for a society of culturally literate people, music must be a vital part of our children's education.-Yo Yo Ma in The Gifts of Music (MENC, 1994)
