Paris

I had a wonderful time in Prague, it actually ended up being my favorite city on this trip, but the end of one thing is just the beginning of another. Time for a new adventure in Paris. 

My first meeting in the city of lights was with Gregoire Catelin. Our paths crossed at a cafe across the street from the entrance to the catacombs which I would later find out were closed due to strikes (classic Paris). Gregoire teaches at a music Univeristy a few blocks away from the cafe and had a lot to say about the quality of music education in Paris. Apparently, there is a movement to implement an hour of choir practice a day in every primary school in Paris. Having a choir in primary school was not unheard of, but it was not common either. From what Gregoire told me, it seems as though this is likely to go into effect, due to the popularity of the bill and the numerous positive effects of music on all areas of academia. I noticed on my travels that most people I interviewed believed music education was important mainly for the effects it has on the brain. I did not know that that fact was so widely known and had such a wide influence as to change the education system in France.