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Opinion

Universal Access to Music Education for All New York City Students Should Be a Top Priority


leg0club city

Music for all (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


While Dr. Miguel Cardona, the US Secretary for Education says “music is a way for students to find themselves and learn critical thinking skills,” over 50% of New York City schools have no full-time music teacher. Cardona thinks—and I agree—that music education is integral to a well-rounded education and “one of the best ways” we can nurture students’ natural talents and interests. 

My entire education was centered around being in the school’s band. The fondness with which I look back on my time in school brought me to the conclusion that every New York City student should have access to high quality music education. It’s why I began serving on the Development Board of Education Through Music (ETM), a nonprofit that provides music education to tens of thousands of New York City students. It is our belief that by limiting access to music to the wealthiest districts and families, students in poorer schools and districts miss out on life-changing opportunities. 

Schools offering music have better academic outcomes. Studies show that students with music and arts education fare better academically than students who do not have access to it. In New York City, schools in low-income areas are often forced to cut their arts and music budgets. Thus these students, who are often Black and Latino, miss out on an aspect of education afforded to their wealthier, white counterparts.

Music is a wonderful way to build connections among students by supporting their social and emotional development. I was in the jazz band at my public school. We performed at school functions, and were an integral part of the school’s culture. Those of us in band were able to engage with the whole school community. I made all my closest friends through music, and even started a ska band with my jazz band friends. 

Building community like this can be harder in under-resourced schools with fewer field trips and extracurriculars, heightening the need for music. At Education Through Music, our teachers have found community building even more important in light of the pandemic. Playing together has helped students express their emotions. Taking the time to engage with music has given them the space to reset from the pressures of virtual learning. Beyond playing music, the classes teach students how to support one another, and listen to each other’s concerns outside of academics.

New York City’s economy depends on the arts and cultural sectors. Before the pandemic, the creative sector accounted for 13% of the city’s total economic output. Overall, one out of every eight dollars of economic activity in the city—$110 billion in 2017—could be traced directly or indirectly to the sector. We need to remember what goes into creating the next generation of artists and workers in the music industry, and give all students the skills they need to succeed.

By withholding access to music education from students in low-income areas we are holding these students back. Music opens the door to stronger community ties, better academic achievement, and the skills needed to thrive in one of the economy’s largest sectors. Music education should be thought of as an issue of equity, and approached with the same rigor and urgency as other educational initiatives in New York. Our children deserve better.

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Arpan Somani is the co-chair of the development board of Education Through Music, a NYC nonprofit providing trained music educators to public schools who do not otherwise have them. On Twitter @ETMonline.

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Adults Need to Grow Up If We Want to Keep Our Kids Safe


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Back to school (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)


We’ve all seen the news lately. It’s rife with images of chaotic school board meetings and rallies starring adults engaged in tantrums, which we would never tolerate from our children. Every parent wants what they believe is best for their children. However, if we want them to get back to school safely, the adults in the metaphorical room need to stop fighting and adhere to public health guidelines.

As health care professionals, our message is that children should safely return to the school setting. The needs of our children are best addressable in school as opposed to remotely. Children who require interventions such as occupational therapy, nutritional and safety assessments, behavioral counseling, etc., can be identified, and services provided. Children’s psychosocial and emotional development is also enhanced by interacting with peers and teachers in person. In short, the benefits of in-class learning are imperative, and we must focus on keeping the school environment safe, given what we know about the community spread of COVID-19.

How do we do that? Masks and vaccines work. Would you send your child to school without protection from rain or snow? Then, don’t send your child to school without a mask in the middle of this deadly pandemic.

The science is clear. Wearing a mask lessens the risk of COVID-19 transmission. In close indoor environments, we need to ensure that proper ventilation is available, appropriate social distancing is followed, and that we protect our school communities by wearing masks.

Eligible individuals who are 12 and older must get vaccinated. Vaccines lessen the risk of severe covid complications, including hospitalization and death, and help us protect vulnerable people who are not yet eligible for inoculation.

Two CDC studies published in late August conclude that covid cases, ER visits, and hospitalizations are lower among children from communities with higher vaccination rates. July data from 14 states indicated that hospitalizations among unvaccinated adolescents 12-17 years were nearly ten times higher than those who were fully vaccinated. A second study reported a nearly fourfold higher hospitalization rate among children and adolescents who were not fully vaccinated (August data).

These studies highlight the importance of vaccinating to protect ourselves and our children. Though chances of serious illness, hospitalizations, and death are low in children, it does occur, with a disproportionate number of Black and Latino children experiencing significant complications.

When I encounter a vaccine-hesitant patient, I routinely ask them if they know any cure for polio or smallpox. Invariably, the response is no. I inform them that we have no cure for these diseases and that they no longer occur due to the success of our vaccine initiatives. Smallpox vaccines became mandatory, resulting in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld the Boston Department of Health in 1905. Smallpox is now a historical footnote globally, and the vaccine is no longer needed.

Vaccine science isn’t new. The barrage of misinformation on social media comes with a political slant, while the science remains apolitical. Our mission is clear. We aim to discover best practices for keeping people informed and safe.

As adults, we are our children’s protectors, and we owe it to them to make sure we are making the right decisions for their health, which means making sure we are vaccinated against COVID-19 and ensuring that our children, if eligible, are too.

We also need to make sure that they are up to date on their wellness check-ups, vaccinations, and, when in school, wearing a mask. The scrimmaging, silliness, and sideshows need to end, and our priority needs to be on keeping our kids healthy and safe.

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Dr. Beverly Sheppard is the Chair of the Pediatrics Department at AdvantageCare Physicians (ACPNY), one of the largest primary and specialty care practices in the New York area.

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Seize the Moment to Modernize New York Democracy for the Digital Era


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The digital era comes to government meetings (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


In late June, more than 200 people packed into a church basement for a Manhattan Community Board (CB) meeting on the contentious proposed rezoning of parts of Soho and Noho. Representatives of the New York City Department of City Planning were scheduled to make a presentation, but opponents of the rezoning booed and shouted over the planners. 

This kind of scene is all too familiar to those who’ve attended community board meetings in the past. But it doesn’t have to be like this. Just ask anyone who attended these meetings virtually during the pandemic. 

As New York City’s covid cases spiked in March 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo suspended aspects of the state’s Open Meetings Law, allowing the city’s 59 community boards to operate over Zoom or other platforms. Crosstalk and shouting became nearly impossible. Board members were able to stick to the agenda. Some boards say they prefer to meet this way and intend to keep doing so, even if they run afoul of current law.

Many feared that online meetings would be less representative because too many New Yorkers lack high-speed internet connections. This would be a problem for CBs, whose legitimacy is already in question because they attract audiences that are older, whiter, and wealthier than the communities they represent.

But the experiment in online meetings proved to be more inclusive, not less. In interviews Cornell Tech’s Urban Tech Hub conducted for its Rebooting New York report, representatives of 13 of 14 CBs reported that virtual meetings increased public turnout and engagement. One board member noted, “We are seeing more parents of young children, more youth, more cross-city interest, and yes, larger numbers of people, since capacity is no longer an issue.” Applications to serve on CBs in Brooklyn have surged since the meetings went virtual.

It turns out that many of the factors that have made CBs unrepresentative stem from the way they meet. People with work, school, or caretaking schedules that prevent them from getting to a meeting in person at 6 p.m. on a weeknight don’t often join; neither do people with limited mobility. Non-native English speakers, as well as people who are deaf or hard of hearing, can find the proceedings difficult to follow. For countless New Yorkers, a Zoom room is more accessible than a physical one. 

That’s why we recommend not only that community boards continue meeting virtually or in a hybrid format, but also that they make use of additional features of online meetings, such as automatic closed-captioning and transcription, computerized translation into multiple languages, and alerts for specific topics. 

In order to fulfill their promise, virtual or hybrid meetings will need to be modernized and standardized. You can’t hold a truly effective virtual meeting from a gym or basement without the right tools. Hybrid meetings require special attention to ensure that people in the room don’t drown out those who are attending online. 

High-speed internet is essential, along with quality sound and video systems. Community board members need comprehensive training to operate those tools and create new procedures that ensure full participation. And members of the public need access, through broadband connections at home or in venues like libraries that could be set up for virtual participation. It’s all going to require experimentation and support from the borough presidents’ offices, along with civic and digital literacy groups.

In Manhattan, Borough President Gale Brewer’s office funded virtual meeting solutions for the borough’s 12 CBs at the cost of almost $1,500 per district. BetaNYC, a civic tech group, worked with these boards and others throughout the city to ensure that the move to virtual platforms was as seamless and equitable as possible.

All that was just a beginning, though. Legislation introduced and later signed by Governor Kathy Hochul extended the ability to meet online through Jan. 15, 2022, but that is only a stopgap. Elected officials must act now to allow this new type of meeting to continue to evolve. While we don’t have final answers on what form CB meetings will take in the future, we can build a robust framework for their evolution.

Before January, the New York State Legislature should host hearings on how best to amend the Open Meetings Law to align with the needs of the digital era. New York Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou is sponsoring a bill that would allow board members to convene virtually and require such meetings to be accessible to the public. With some modifications, Niou’s legislation would provide a solid footing for a new, more democratic type of community board meeting. The discussion is crucial for everyone who cares about representation in New York. 

The city and state should provide adequate funding and procurement support for the hardware and software needed to run meetings, along with training for board members through grants to community partners with relevant expertise. Packaged into a standard “webcasting kit,” these tools could be provided at better rates and with less administrative overhead. Crucially, the city should also press forward with initiatives to guarantee high-speed internet connections for all New Yorkers.

It’s likely that an all-virtual world wouldn’t be perfect. We need to experiment to get this right. Should there be alternating online and in-person meetings? Can hybrid meetings be truly inclusive? Should immunocompromised people have the option of participating from a separate room? These are all questions that can only be answered in practice.  

If we value democracy, we must modernize it for the digital era. The next mayor, City Council members, and borough presidents have the opportunity to lead the city into a more representative post-pandemic future, in collaboration with state lawmakers. Broadening public participation in collective decision-making will drive greater political legitimacy. 

We now have a rare opportunity to secure the accessibility gains prompted by this once-in-a-century crisis. Let’s not miss it.

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Rit Aggarwala is a Senior Urban Tech Fellow at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute and a member of Manhattan Community Board 8. Noel Hidalgo is Executive Director of BetaNYC. On Twitter @Rit_Aggarwala, @noneck@BetaNYC.

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