If your reading this sentence, do you see that their is something wrong with it?

No? In that case you should be embarassed, er, E-M-B-A-R-R-A-S-S-E-D.

But if spelling is not your strong suit, don’t worry – you are not alone. In fact, a new study carried out by the London-based Spelling Society found that correct spelling of some commonly used English words is all Greek to a majority of Americans.

For example, 62 percent misspell “embarrassed,” 61 percent have a problem with “liaison,” and for 52 percent “millennium” is a real brain twister.

Fortunately, the word “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” was not on the test or the national average would have plunged drastically.

Now, the question is why are Americans (and English speakers in general) such bad spellers? Some people are quick to blame the level of education in public schools, but this explanation only goes so far. It would seem that even some high public officials (who presumably graduated from college) sometimes have their humiliating “oops” moments when it comes to spelling. A case in point is former vice-president Dan Quayle who was corrected by a sixth grader when he famously (or possibly infamously) spelled “potato” with an “e” at the end. Talk about being embarassed – sorry, embarrassed.

So although it is easy to point an accusing finger at schools, at least part of the blame might lie with the nature of the English language, which has 1,100 different ways to spell its 44 separate sounds – more than any other language.

“We have different spellings for the same sound, especially for vowels – silent letters, missing letters and a system that reflects how English was spoken in the 13th to 15th centuries, not how it’s spoken today,” Edward Baranowski, a linguist with California State University at Sacramento recently told The Washington Post. “So many changes have occurred in the language, which are not reflected in modern spelling, that we are left with ‘fossilized’ system.”

Whatever the reason, the art of spelling is definitely worth mastering, since inability to write correctly can hinder your academic progress and career.

How can you improve your skills and not just rely on a spell check every time you write? Repetition and practice. It may sound tedious, but it’s the only way to unlearn bad spelling habits and acquire new, correct ones.

If you think that’s difficult just be thankful you don’t have to routinely spell words such as “lentokonesuihkuturbiinmoottoriapumekaanikkoaliupseerioppilas,” which reportedly means “technical warrant officer trainee specializing in jet engines” in Finnish.

See, English spelling is not that hard. And that’s one message that won’t get lost in translation.

There is a promising piece of news out of Washington this month: when it comes to funding for music, the Obama Administration is singing a refreshingly new tune.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior has just approved a bill that sets the annual budgets for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities at $170 million each for the 2010 fiscal year, $15 million more than the current appropriation.

That’s a giant leap from just a decade ago when the Republicans slashed the budget for the arts by 40 percent to $99.5 million in 1996 and 1997, cuts that drastically reduced music and arts programs in public schools and communities across America. State and private funding also declined over the past few years as recession hit local governments and philanthropic organizations.

The new injection of money came on the heels of a campaign by a nonprofit group, Americans for the Arts, http://www.artsusa.org, who urged the Congress in March of this year to boost funding for the arts. Renowned jazz musician Wynton Marsalis lent his support in an impassioned plea to Congress.

“All around the world, music links generations old and young, and cultures near and far,” he said. “So, it’s critical for the nation to reevaluate its priorities during this financial crisis to ensure the best aspects of American culture aren’t lost to younger generations because of scarce funding.”

It is not yet clear how much of the newly appropriated funds will trickle down to local school districts, but at least it looks like the lawmakers on Capital Hill are finally hitting the right notes.

All the more so because there is an abundance of scientific and anecdotal evidence to suggest that music is a vitally important part of our lives. For example:

• Middle and high school students who participated in instrumental music performances scored significantly higher than their non-band peers in standardized tests. (University of Sarasota Study)

• Music training helps under-achievers. Students lagging behind in scholastic performance caught up to their fellow students in reading and surpassed their classmates in math by 22% when given music instruction over seven months. (Nature, May 23, 1996)

• The College Entrance Examination Board found that students in music appreciation scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on math than students with no arts participation. (College-Bound Seniors National Report. “Profile of SAT Program Test Takers. Princeton, NJ.” The College Entrance Examination Board, 2001)

Compelling evidence, isn’t it, but wait – there is more! Beyond the purely academic benefits, the National Institutes of Health say music can also considerably reduce our stress and pain levels.

If you are interested in learning more about the importance of music education, check out these sites:

http://www.schoolmusicmatters.com/

http://www.vh1savethemusic.com/