COMMUNITY COLLEGE OFFERING 50 MUSIC CLASSES ON PRESCOTT CAMPUS THIS FALL BUT ADHERES TO ITS HALF CENTURY CUSTOM OF NOT PROVIDING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN MUSIC EDUCATION TO STUDENTS IN SEDONA AND THE VERDE VALLEY

All agree that extensive music education is terrific; but virtually no music classes are offered at the  Sedona Center or on the Verde Valley Campus—How do you explain that?

EDITORIAL:  For more than half a century, the music program at Yavapai Community College has grown and thrived in

Editor, Robert Oliphant

Prescott on the Prescott Campus. The well-developed program offers a wide variety of music classes and ensembles. Among other accomplishments, it has no doubt helped to produce many talented musicians.

However, it is puzzling that the Prescott-based Community College executives have steadfastly neglected to focus on any music education development at the Sedona Center or on the Verde Valley Campus for more than a half century.

This neglect becomes stark when  one reviews the 2023 fall academic course catalog for credit classes offered by Yavapai Community College.  What one finds is at least 50  music courses listed on the Prescott Campus.  You find none listed on the Verde Valley Campus.  At the Sedona Center, where the College is only offering a total of four for-credit classes, you find two voice classes that registration data says are full.  Nothing else!

There are many sound reasons for offering music education at the Sedona Center and on the Verde Valley Campus. A good music curriculum can provide affordable and accessible music education to a wider range of people than a four-year university. This can be especially beneficial for students who may not be able to afford to attend a private music school or who may not be accepted to a four-year music program.

A community college music program can also provide cultural enrichment for the communities on the east side of Mingus Mountain just as it does for the west side.  By offering a variety of music courses and ensembles, the college can expose people to different cultures and musical traditions. This can help to promote tolerance and understanding in the community.

Music has been shown to improve academic performance. A study by the University of Maryland found that students who took music classes had higher math scores than those who did not. Music also helps develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

In addition to the academic benefits, music education can also provide students with an aesthetic experience and instill life values. Music can be a powerful outlet for expression, and it can help students develop discipline, cooperation, social skills, and good character. Knowledge of music technology, music history, music theory, and music culture can also reinforce knowledge in other academic subjects.

Given all of these benefits, it is clear that music education should be available to all students, regardless of their location. The Prescott-based Community College executives should immediately take steps to seriously develop and expand music education to the Sedona Center and the Verde Valley Campus and stop treating the residents on the east side of Mingus Mountain so poorly when it comes to educational opportunities.

The Verde Valley is home to a large and growing population, and there is a demand for music education opportunities in the area if the programs are properly developed in conjunction with local high schools and then seriously supported. It seems to me that the Yavapai Community College administration has a responsibility to provide equal access to music education opportunities to all students, regardless of their location in Yavapai County.

The residents and future Community College students in Sedona and the Verde Valley deserve to have the same access to music education as students in the Prescott area The College must expand music education opportunities in the Verde Valley immediately. The future of music education in Sedona and the Verde Valley depends on it.