Music Education in Schools

As my vision blurred over the posters of famous composers, my orchestra teacher droned on about the rehearsal for the week, just as always. Unexpectedly, she brought up an important issue - the referendum coming up in a month. "Please talk to your parents and ask them to consider supporting the continuance of this program". I thought back to the elementary school days when I first picked up a violin, bow bouncing unsteadily on the string, not knowing where to place my hand. Why should hard-working people invest in music education?

What are the benefits of participating in music education? According to Aristotle, "music has the power of producing a certain effect on the moral character of the soul, and if it has the power to do this, it is clear that the young must be directed to music and must be educated in it". Studies using standardized tests have shown that musicians score higher on the composite score of the CAT and SAT than athletes and non-musicians students ^I. The College Examination Board found that students that took 20 credits of music scored about 120 points higher on the math and verbal SAT individually than students that participated in 15 units of music education ^II. The more years spent in music, the higher the score. Over several years of this continuing study, the space between scores in musicians and athletes widened (Schneider). Music participation has shown to improve overall performance in classes. Musicians score up to 10.9% more in basic classes than non-musicians ^III. Music has also shown to be a fundamental factor in the success in learning a language and math. For each number of right answers to math problems the students received, the more time they were given to listen to music. The study concluded that music was a great motivation to better math scores. In another study used music to learn and comprehend social studies concepts. A song was taught using cognitive skills and found that the amount of facts recalled was significantly high.

How will music help my child after high school? The behavior and learning over a person's young adult years are crucial to their personalities and actions of the future. Music can have a great effect on a child's behavior. It encourages self-esteem and better friendships. At least one year of participation of music activities may increase chances of getting accepted into colleges. The Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse Report found that high school musicians turned out to have the "lowest lifetime and current use of all substances" ^IV. Similarly, according to the U.S. Department of Education, colleges view music participation by students a very "valuable experience". College is one thing that families work hard to get into, and music has a great impact on acceptance and success.

Although music in school can be positive, to some the sound it creates is distracting and an annoyance to other teachers. Music classrooms are usually located within the building, surrounded by other classrooms ^V. The sound of music could cause negative impacts on the grades and concentration of peers, especially during testing times.

Many argue that there are other ways of promoting intellectual development without spending as much money. Athletics is open to anyone and school funds or fundraisers can cover most costs. There is no need to spend significant amounts of money to fund music that may require more time and practice than sports. Athletics in the United States is better known and interesting for people to watch and participate in.

The benefits of having the option of music education by far outweigh the drawbacks. The ability of music to assist with the healthy development of the brain and skills, along with a greater chance of a great future, is priceless. Not many activities and objects could contribute to such vital parts of a person's life. If we want out children to have the best and become well-rounded people, shouldn't we invest in something so worthwhile?

^I http://http://www.eric.ed.gov/.
^II http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/288195/music_education_essential_or_expendable.html?cat=4
^III See Note II.
^IV https://www.menc.org/information/advocate/facts.html.
V See Note II.