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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Miriam, Student in NextGen Musician Program from Midori and Friends
3:23:41
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Miriam, a high school senior and bassist in the Midori and Friends NextGen program, testifies about the transformative power of music education in her life. She emphasizes how music has helped her find her voice, express herself, and overcome shyness, while also highlighting the importance of arts education for all students.
- Miriam urges the City Council to protect and expand arts education in all New York City schools
- She advocates for funding programs like Midori and Friends and supporting music teachers
- The testimony emphasizes the need for equal access to arts education for all students, regardless of where they live
High School Student
3:23:41
Hello there.
3:23:42
My name is Miriam, and I'm a bassist.
3:23:46
That's how I almost always introduce myself now.
3:23:48
I'm a high school senior currently participating in the Midorian Friends twenty twenty five NextGen program, and I'm honored to be here today.
3:23:56
Sometime in the past few years, I no longer was someone who just plays bass guitar, but a bassist.
3:24:02
It's become a part of who I am and I most certainly would have never become half the person I am today if it weren't for music.
3:24:08
Specifically, I would have never become who I am today if it weren't for music education.
3:24:13
Music class changed my life.
3:24:15
Before, there was no way I would ever ask to speak here.
3:24:18
I was and still am in many ways very shy and kept into my shell.
3:24:22
But music has a way with uncovering our true selves.
3:24:25
Music moves our souls and shows us parts of ourselves that we didn't even know existed.
3:24:30
For me, it helped me find my voice and express express myself through the strings of the bass.
3:24:34
And for others, it has done so much more.
3:24:36
When I'm playing music with others, we speak in a language that only musicians can understand and it is a wonderful language.
3:24:42
We speak through reality, pain, and even schools on that list, which is why I want to help others learn this musical musical language.
3:24:50
I'm lucky to have an amazing teacher, mister Anderson, who has always believed in me and my classmates.
3:24:55
Throughout rough times in school, he helps us express our emotions and gives us a safe space to be ourselves and be loud and take space in the world for ourselves.
3:25:03
But again, I'm lucky.
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Many people don't have that.
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Many people don't even have music class or any art class at their school.
3:25:09
To quote John Keating in the Dead Poets Society, we don't read and write poetry because it's cute.
3:25:15
We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race, and the human race is filled with passion.
3:25:19
I'd like to generalize this a little bit.
3:25:22
We don't make art because it's cute.
3:25:23
We make art because we are members of the human race, and the human race is filled with passion.
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Imagine all the kids who could have grown up to the next Bowie or da Vinci, but never had the chance to find their passion.
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We need education in the arts.
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We need our freedom.
3:25:38
That's why I urge city council to protect and expand arts education in all New York City schools.
3:25:42
Fund programs like Midori and Friends, support teacher music teachers, and make sure every student, no matter where they live, has access to the arts.
3:25:50
Because we aren't just shaping future artists, we're helping young people find their voices, their purpose, and their place in the world.
3:25:56
Thank you.