Paul Pirner of the 757s on Music and Arts Education

How did you get into making music, and how did arts education (or lack thereof) affect you and your music?

Music was a part of growing up in my family. We all started playing multiple instruments at a very young age and they were scattered around the house like toys; we weren’t given the choice of not playing an instrument, and so it seemed unnatural not to. Plus, it sounded cool, and I wanted to be able to do that.

In music class, people who were into it just kind of gravitated towards each other, and the music room became kind of a club house for us. I met Moses Jackson in second grade at Kenwood, and he introduced me to The Sugar Hill Gang and Queen in 1978. He wanted to rap, I could keep rhythm for him on this crazy coconut looking thing the music teacher had in the music room, we got a bunch of other kids together and did our thing at a talent show, people cheered and I was hooked. Music does so much for brain development that I can’t even start to describe the benefits; rhythm helps in math class, lyrics help in English; it lets you see the thoughts between the thoughts.

This post is part of our 60-hour blogathon in support of music development and literacy within the Twin Cities. We appreciate you visiting the site – but before you go, we ask that you consider clicking the Donors Choose banner below and giving what you can to help enrich the lives of a number of local children through music and reading. Thank you. – Culture Bully