Boone 1

Jenna Boone
Mr. Prichard
CP English 12
5 May 2016
Music Education
Music is a vital part of education. Without music as a part of a students education, a
school would not be complete as both music and core subjects enhance each other and become
an excellent entity together. Music education develops brain areas involved in language and
reasoning, which is often seen throughout the performance of other subjects, seeing it as an
essential subject to be taught in schools because it helps students grow in ways that will help
them not only within music, but also outside music.
The greatest way to prove how much music affects students is how schools would be with
and without music. There was a key study done on schools in Georgia called the Georgia Project.
It is an important example of how school districts in Georgia maintained music education and the
marvelous benefits that came with it. When music was made a priority in these schools, student
academic performance increased in all areas of study. (Holden Hinkle, Music and Success)
Aside from the classroom, [d]rop-out rates plummeted, students scored higher on standardized
tests, and students demonstrated a greater interest in the arts in general. (Holden Hinkle, Music
and Success) With a bigger emphasis on the music, [e]nrollment in music classes grew, and for
the first time in years, there was a demand for a greater variety of arts programs. (Holden
Hinkle, Music and Success) Now, here is what happened when schools cut the music programs.
Within two to three years, every school [...] showed a decrease in morale and attendance and an
increase in vandalisms and disruptions, and within three years most of them had to add extensive

Boone 2
disciplinary staff to account for the problems that were created by not providing the full range of
experiences that human beings need. (Michele Vizzo, Pros and Cons of Music Education)
Music education has proven to make schools thrive. It brings about a better performance in the
music classes and outside the music room, being shown in increased scores and decreased
discipline.
Students that were involved in music have proven to do better on standardized testing
such as the SAT. The College Board used the questionnaire segment of the test to examine how
music education affected their SAT performance. The results, [t]hose with a background in arts
scored, on average, 57 points higher on the verbal portion and 43 points higher on the math
portion [scoring] out of 1600 points, that's a dramatic improvement. (Holden Hinkle, Music and
Success) There is an explanation for how music students do better on standardized tests. Recent
studies have clearly indicated that musical training physically develops the part of the left side of
the brain known to be involved with processing language, and can actually wire the brains
circuits in specific ways. (Carolyn Phillips, Twelve Benefits of Music Education) Thus enabling
music students to become better at other subjects because they can see various solutions to
problems that will help them.
While all of this great, there has always been the counterargument to these facts,
including the cost of funding these programs. The programs themselves are expensive, not to
mention all the equipment and supplies that are needed. Schools are given limited budgets and
have to decide where the money should best be spent, so this money could take away from
limited funding that could be spent elsewhere. (Michele Vizzo, Pros and Cons of Music
Education) The money schools have is usually not a lot. Schools could be making the already
existing programs and subjects better instead of using it towards building a new and costly

Boone 3
program. However, the schools may not realize how much music can impact a student
throughout other classes, even so much as preparing them for the real world. The former
Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, is an explicit music advocate. Here, he explains music's
usefulness: "Ask a CEO what they are looking for in an employee and they say they need people
who understand teamwork, people who are disciplined, people who understand the big picture.
You know what they need? They need musicians." At some point in music, teamwork will be
required. In a job out in the real world, teamwork is inevitable. Music education prepares
students for the real world by providing opportunities to work together to create a beautiful
product. For example, a band learning and rehearsing music for a concert.
Without music, schools cannot properly give their students the opportunity to be a wellrounded individual for the real world as music and core subjects go hand-in-hand. Music teaches
students so much not just within the music room, but also outside of the music room. Through
music, different areas of the brain are developed and can enhance a students performance in
other subjects and standardized testing, as well as on stage in a recital. Another big fact is that
teamwork and social skills are enhanced because you work together to produce one product of
work and these skills are needed in the real world. Through all of the given evidence, music
should be kept in schools and be made a requirement.

Works Cited
Title of Article (1): Twelve Benefits of Music Education
Phillips, Carolyn. "Twelve Benefits of Music Education." Music Education Online. Save The
Music, 29 Nov. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
Title of Article (2): How Important is Music Education in Schools?

Boone 4
Cerbasi, Jennifer. "How Important Is Music Education in Schools? | Fox News." Fox News. FOX
News Network, 28 Mar. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
Title of Article (3): Music and Success in School
Hinkle, Holden. "Music & Success in School." Encore Music Lessons. Accredited Business, 21
July 2013. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
Title of Article (4): Pros and Cons of Music Education
Vizzo, Michele. "Pros and Cons of Music Education." Prezi.com. AutoDesk, 19 Nov. 2013. Web.
17 Apr. 2016.
Title of Article (5): Should Music Be Made a Mandatory Subject in School?
Stewart, David. "Should Music Education Be Made a Mandatory Subject in School?" Quora.
Quora, 6 Oct. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
Title of Outside Reading: The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy in Music Education
Bowman, Wayne D., and Ana Lucia. Frega. The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy in Music
Education. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2012. Print.

Boone 5