Now this is a clip that every elementary music teacher can be proud of. Jimmy Fallon teams up with The Roots and THE Mariah Carey to do a live cut of her Christmas classic All I Want For Christmas Is You. The video is cute and instantly infectous… obviously the kids at the bottom of the screen popping in and out of the shot was all I needed to turn my frown upside down.

And cute may have been all that they were going for here. But even if unintentional, this video serves as a powerful reminder of where our music and arts education actually begins. It starts in a classroom with recorders and Fischer Price Xylophones. It starts with dedicated teachers that give of their time and energy to invest in our nation’s children. How beautiful of these international superstars to join forces and remind us… everyone has to start somewhere. Somebody invested in those music teachers through tax dollars, and in turn the teachers invested in little Mariah, little Jimmy and Lil’ Questlove. If not for that, the world may never have encountered their immense gifts of music and entertainment. As federal, state and local governments continue to posture and postulate over what is “important” to fix the nation’s fiscal issues, maybe they will also stumble upon this video, and be reminded… what good is saving the country, if we have nothing of value left to save?

Sheesh! Maybe that was too political. I think I better watch this again!!