Butler Elementary Receives Dekko Arts Partnership Grant
Butler Elementary students in Grades K-2 will be learning about music this year with a new "hands on" approach called, "Music and the Brain" as part of a Fine Arts Partnership Grant awarded to the school by the Dekko Foundation. The grant money was used to purchase a keyboard lab where students will receive instruction in playing the piano, reading music, singing, theory, and ear training. Research indicates that there is a significant link between cognitive ability and focused music instruction. The curriculum for "Music and the Brain" was developed in 1997 and is currently being used in many schools throughout the country, as well as internationally. The program will be continued year after year and expanded into the upper grades so that all students will have yearly exposure and learning. The program also encourages creativity by allowing children to freely explore the keyboard and promotes students who are actively engaged in the learning process. Most importantly, "having fun" is one of the key ingredients for success!