By Megan Werden ’17

More Music Montgomery (MMM), a student led project organized by Rockville High School Senior Michael Silverglade, is creating a new awareness campaign to increase funding for music education in Montgomery County.

On September 21^st, 2015 Silverglade spoke to Montgomery County Board of Education, saying that music education is something very important to thousands of students and families in the county. Silverglade described how kids will stay more engaged in school, will obtain better SAT scores, and will learn collaboration and teamwork. He added that colleges value students who study music.

Music education has not been given a substantial amount of funding as the county’s student population has grown. MCPS is behind the rest of the State of Maryland in its commitment to instrumental music for elementary schools. Elementary students in other counties receive up to 90 minutes of music each week, while Montgomery County elementary students receive only 30 minutes.  However, music education enrollment grows at all levels each year with 13,000 elementary students anticipated this coming school year. MMM is designed to encourage parents in the county to speak up at Board of Education meetings, and to emphasize that music education should not be overlooked.