Monday, March 19, 2007

Monday with Jackie

This has been a very special day. I met an old friend from Abilene at the Frist today for lunch and the Picasso and Matisse showing. Jackie Williams and I have been friends for many years dating back to our days at Minter Lane. We also shared the Minter book club together. Her boys grew up with Brandon in the church. Dustin is now a luthier (look it up) in Nashville and her other son Kenyon now teaches percussion at the U. of Min.

We ate a nice lunch and caught up. Jackie and her husband Art (who taught art at ACU when they were in Abilene) were victims of Katrina in Gulfport, MI. They now live close to Nashville. Katrina retired Art a little early because the university he was teaching in lost the classroom building for the art department and William Carey has decided to do away with the art dept. --to the student's detriment. Art has written several definitive books on sculpture which are being used around the country. Jackie and he nicely gave me his latest--a sculpture reference book--it is beautiful. Jackie is a retired premier music teacher.Such an accomplished family.

After viewing the exhibit ( it was fabulous, by the way--although not my favorite style of art), we went to Dustin's business on Music Row. He is evidently doing a booming business for all the string players in Music City--I am so glad. He is an extremely talented young man. Dustin
didn't have many kind things to say about music education in the Metro schools--a fact I have heard from many other people. Seems Nashville's Metro system needs a lot of help in the music and arts division. AND HERE IN MUSIC CITY!!!! The country music people have begun a non-profit org. to begin raising funds for music in the schools. Maybe they can help.

It makes me sad when fine arts are neglected in a school system despite multitudinous (is that a word?) research about all the benefits for students who take art and music.

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