An appreciation of instrumental music is developed through demonstrations of music literacy, performance, technical proficiency and musical expression, leading to the cultivation of the whole child. An education in instrumental music helps students gain powerful tools for understanding human experiences, both past and present. Students learn to respect different ways others have of thinking, working and expressing themselves. Students learn to make decisions in situations where there are no standard answers. Through instrumental music, students stimulate their natural creativity and learn to develop it to meet the needs of our complex and competitive society. As competence in music and other academics reinforce one another, the joy of learning becomes real, tangible and powerful.