Last night we performed the second of two concerts honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  We haven't seen any reviews as I write this, but one thing that became apparent to me in the days leading up to the concerts, and at the concerts themselves, is that 17-year old piano prodigy, Jeremy Jordan is a walking advertisement for the value of music education (and good parenting).  He is an amazing young man.

Last week's blog elicited a lot of comments because I included a line or two about the Bears game.  Some people felt that it was inappropriate to include sports on a website dedicated to classical music.  After spending a week with Jeremy, I thought about how we relate to young people involved in sports and the arts.

Every Sunday I read the Chicago Tribune and there are two or more pages dedicated to high school athletics.  While the accomplishments of these students are laudable, where are the pages in the paper dedicated to kids like Jeremy?  He is bright, unbelievably poised for a 17-year old male (note: I have a 17-year old son so I claim expertise in this subject!), articulate, and T-A-L-E-N-T-E-D. 

It's clear when you meet him that his years of studying music have had a huge impact on his maturation.  That, and the fact that he has great parents.  We debate the value of music education in our schools; we de-fund it, while spending who knows how much on the football team.  I'm not saying athletics aren't important.  I'm saying they are no more important than giving our children the best music education we can afford.  If we do, there will be more Jeremy Jordan's running around, and trust me, that's a good thing!

So here is my suggestion to the powers that be.  When the Bears celebrate their February 4^th Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots, put Jeremy Jordan on a float in the LaSalle Street parade performing his variations on the theme from Bear Down Chicago Bears.