Music

Many people intuitively know that Music Performance provides an

excellent opportunity for children and youth to learn important life

skills such as collaboration, team dynamics and leadership. This is

supported by research. However, research also shows that it is not

enough to just participate in musical groups to learn these skills;

they must be explicitly taught (Gould & Voelker, 2012). That is our

goal at the Leadership Development through Kohai Foundation

(LDK Foundation): teach children and youth valuable life skills such

as leadership through the pursuit of musical performance.

Leadership has always been a fundamental part of every lesson at

the LDK Foundation, but we believe it is time to increase the focus

on leadership in those lessons. Our goal is to ensure that leadership

skills development form a part of every class we teach so students

can learn how to be both a good leader and a good follower. Our

goal is to incorporate the latest in leadership research to help

students build leadership skills for use in every area of their lives;

leadership skills that apply in every aspect of the student's life from

home, to school, to work. As a result, LDK programs are designed

and built out of years of extensive practical experience and academic

research. LDK instructors have many years of teaching experience teaching

music performance, leadership, and life skills to children, youth and

adults.

We believe that children should develop thinking skills suitable for

today's complex world, be creative, curious and appropriately

independent, and learn how to learn. In short, learn how to lead

themselves. We will train students through musical performance to

become good leaders and followers. They will in turn be able to

assist their Band Teachers with teaching the beginners in their

school programs. This is the essence of Kohai – a student leader who assists

their instructors with beginning students.