And through a new initiative called Play It Again, Arkansas, we'll be giving our students the gift of music. All across Arkansas there are kids who want to play a musical instrument but can't afford one. And in attics all across Arkansas, there are used trumpets, clarinets and tubas collecting dust. Again, we're setting up a statewide network of band leaders who'll help us encourage people to donate their instruments to students who need them. Based on a similar program in Memphis, Play it Again will produce lasting benefits for our children and our state.
Research shows that music education helps kids in other areas of study.
It teaches them valuable life lessons about creativity and teamwork. It helps them understand that practice really does make perfect, and that they can achieve their goals if they set their minds to it. And for some kids, it provides their first opportunity to excel, giving them a boost in self-esteem that will carry over into every other area of life. Too often, we worry so much about providing our students diplomas that we forget to give them an education. Education isn't about test scores or school funding formulas.