I Run For...

Thousands of athletes continue to participate in races annually, but charity running has created an even greater boom in the popularity of endurance sports. Runners looking to give meaning to their races and training bring in millions of dollars to support varying causes each year. P.F. Chang's Rock 'N' Roll Arizona alone, has a list of over ten charities to choose from, all of which are worthy causes to support.

Reasons for choosing a specific charity to support differs from person to person, but one of the biggest draws is a personal connection. For those that run to beat cancer, many run in honor of loved ones who have passed or in celebration of those who continue to fight. Individuals will have their support decorated on shirts, plastered on signs, or even have it written all over their body. After all, when it's written all over your arm, it's impossible to not stay motivated during every mile of your race.

When I decided to join the Rock the Run team and raise money for Ear Candy Charity, one of the first things I asked myself, was "who or what would I run for?" I'm by no means a musician, nor am I parent or an educator,but I still knew that music education was so important to me. But I needed to figure how music was going to motivate me. What was my connection to music education?

For me, I'm always looking for the things in life that can bring us as people all together. There are language barriers and cultural differences that can sometimes set us apart, but there are also many universal ways of communicating that can link us back, such as through non-verbal activities like sport, dance, movement, and...music. For many young students, music is a way to express themselves. If we really want kids to develop their own voice, we need to let them use it in whatever form possible even if it's through learning chords, playing notes and reading sheet music.

So I'm running in honor of the musicians, the parents, and the educators who believe in music education for children. Most of all, I'm running in celebration of my own parents, who listened with the utmost patience while 'Three Blind Mice' was played on my recorder on repeat, who drove me to and from piano lessons, and most of all, who taught me to love music.

Who would you run for? It's not too late to sign up to run as part of Ear Candy's Rock the Run team. We have an upcoming information meeting coming up, come out and meet fellow team coaches and team members, and get all your questions answered.

Rock the Run Informational Meeting:
Thursday September 13, 2012 (5:30 - 7:00 pm)
Ear Candy Office (200 E Curry Road, Lower Level Tempe, AZ 85281).