LI music education needs to start early

I was so disappointed to read that LIU Post will freeze new admissions to its music education program ["Music ed students sound off," News, Dec. 2]. Long Island has few college programs for those who want to major in the arts, and now there will be one less.

In the Patchogue-Medford School District, where I taught elementary music for 34 years, the district cut elementary music classes in grades 1-3 from two classes a week to one in the early 2000s, and those classes have not been restored.

A high school music teacher I spoke with last week said that recent auditions for the annual musical were not up to par and interest has waned.

When the arts are taken away or not taught properly at the elementary school level, all music programs suffer when those students reach high school. It is important to reach the "whole child" all the way through school.

We are taking away the joy of music on the elementary level, and now, with college music programs dwindling, I fear that we are putting our talented students at a great disadvantage by discouraging them from possibly pursuing a career in music.

— Susan Berner, Centereach

Owning up to voting for ‘the other guy’

This concerns a reader’s response to my Nov. 17 letter, "Don’t mischaracterize who Republicans are," in response to Lane Filler’s Nov. 11 op-ed, "GOP election lies come home to roost."

The reader questioned my courage ["Own up to voting for ‘the other guy,’ " Letters, Nov. 23]. I thought I did "own it" when I wrote that "the personality and abrasiveness of the man in charge is not disqualifying."

So let me be clear: Without getting into the debate on unproven allegations or responsibilities, nothing former President Donald Trump has done is disqualifying for me.

In 2016, in effect, I voted for then-Judge Neil Gorsuch over then-Chief Judge Merrick Garland. Thank goodness that worked out.

— Rick Vitelli, Farmingdale