As part of

his application for participation in the FMF program, Lane had to describe

how he would utilize his experience in the classroom after his return

from Japan. He says his newly gained knowledge will be put to use immediately

He also has

plans to extend what he learns to SPASM (Special Performances at Starr's

Mill), a program the school's fine arts department sponsors in the spring

which features different fine arts performances throughout the day and

culminates in the evening with a concert that is generally attended by

1,200 members of the community.

"Since

there is such a rapidly growing population of Japanese people in our area,

partially due to the increasing number of Japanese industries that are

locating in Peachtree City, this concert could serve as a bridge between

our school and area industries," said Lane.

Lane says he

wanted to participate in the program so that he could broaden the horizons

of both his students and himself to help to further breakdown the wall

of ignorance surrounding the Japanese culture. Lane suggests that by studying

the music of a culture, students not only learn about the customs and

history of a particular people but they also internalize what is important

and valued in it.

"For years

I have used music to break down some of the walls that exist in society,"

explained Lane. "One such wall, held together with the mortar of

prejudice, has at its core ignorance about the differences in people and

cultures. Music is a magical art form that allows participants to actually

step into the shoes of other cultures and understand their differences."

In his 13 years

of teaching, Lane admits that he has only chosen two Japanese pieces to

use in his classes. His choices have not been based on musical likes or

dislikes but rather the fact that he does not know enough about Japanese

music to feel comfortable teaching it. He says training programs in choral

music education are very western in nature and that he can recall very

few places during both his undergraduate and graduate studies where he

experienced eastern music.

"I do

know that the two Japanese pieces that I was brave enough to attempt came

to be two of the favorite pieces of my students and that the Japanese

music was full of wonderful, complex musical concepts," said Lane.

"But I have to admit that I really did not know how to approach those

pieces to insure that our offering was meaningful and authentic. My participation

in this program will help me gain the knowledge I need to teach Japanese

musical concepts to my students and expand their knowledge of the culture."

The FMF teacher

program is sponsored by the government of Japan. It was established to

commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Fulbright Program - a U.S. government

initiated project created in 1946 to foster mutual understanding through

exchanges of university students, faculty and teachers. More than 6,800

Japanese have benefited from the U.S. Fulbright Scholarship program.

This year marks

the sixth anniversary of the FMF program.