Toale 1

Angela B. Toale
Kristina Fogelson
Intro. To Comp
28 April 2016
Learning to play an instrument can be a lifelong dream for some, a dream that they may
never be able to achieve. This is due to the lack of funding for fine arts in public schools. While
some public schools have exceptions (like earning a grant specifically for music), the students
that attend these schools are virtually left with no option for music education. Students that
attend charter schools may have the funding for a music class, however, it is ultimately up to the
school on whether or not they want to include music in their curriculum. In this case, most
charter schools do not include music as part of their curriculum. Students should be encouraged
to find a solution for music education possibly outside their school (if it is not provided for
them). Their community should host an event where students are free to explore instruments and
receive instruction on how to play or read music. While other solutions for the lack of music
education may be effective, they are not available for everyone.
Music education in public schools is not as common as it may sound. It may seem that if
a school has a high enrollment rate and is well-funded by the government, that it also has a
decent music program. However, it is not a decision that should be made without concrete
evidence. One must also consider the wealth of the students or the community around the
school. Schools with higher enrollments in free and reduced-price lunch program had a lower
percentage of music instruction present in their schools (Demorest et al., 2016). This means that
students from low income families were less likely to have music class in their public school.
Wealth should not have to matter when it comes to determining who is able to get a certain type

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of education, but unfortunately it does. On that same note, the average number of full-time
music specialists in urban areas was 1.98 compared to 2.31 specialists on average in suburban
areas(Demorest et al., 2016). This evidence further proves that public school students do not
receive the same music education opportunities as charter or private schools. This is clearly
unfair that people are not given the same advantages due to their economic status, and something
must be done.
On the other hand, music education in charter schools is not entirely clear. In the same
study conducted by Demorest et al. in 2016; 400 surveys were sent out to charter schools, and
only 33% of the surveys were returned. This may have skewed the research a bit, but from the
surveys returned, it was concluded that music education is not given the same status in charter
schools as it is in traditional schools (Demorest et al., 2016). Right off the bat, this highlights the
difference that government funding alone can make a difference in music education. Also, it
should be noted that charter schools have the ability to adjust their curriculum much more than
public schools. Charter schools in their sample offered music less often, but the schools that did
offer it had more minutes committed to music instruction Demorest et al., 2016). While most
charter schools still do offer music education, this is still not openly available to the public. This
is the main issue that must brought to a solution.
Similar to the proposed solution, free community events have been put into effect. The
goal of these projects is to provide a wide array of music making activities with differently
sized and composed groups, across diverse communities, encompassing everything from an
orchestras outreach work in hospitals or health centres, to hip-hop projects in prisons and
parent-infant music sessions in playgroups (Rimmer, 2012). These activities were reported to
have many positive effects within the community. These effects are the equalisation of power

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between project participants and the empowerment, through creative expression and
participatory practices. This is also what the proposed solution plants to achieve. Both ideas are
very similar, with the exception of the proposal being geared towards elementary through highschool students.
A local event designed specifically for the community would be the most effective
solution to the lack of music education. This is because it includes all of the benefits mentioned
in the previous proposal, and more. Music is meant to enrich the lives of those that is touches.
Enlightening children through music usually involves an emotional bond made, either with their
teacher or their classmates/peers. This emotional bond is what makes music education special
and unique when compared with traditional school subjects. When an event is local, more people
are likely to attend. To even further address this problem, children will be invited to learn how to
play an instrument, for free. By allowing children to play instruments at their own leisure, they
are free to make their own decisions. If they choose to take a lesson, they are building on their
own goals. This will also construct a sense of determination to learn a new skill or accomplish
something outside of school. This is instilling independence or self-trust. In a group lesson,
students are able to make new friends through new means besides school. This proposal has
many more appealing benefits than the other solutions.
There is always more than one way to solve a problem. However, there is always a
solution that will be the best for the particular situation. For this particular situation, the best
solution would be the one with the most benefits for those in need and the rest of the community.
Hosting a community event for free music lessons and instrument sampling is the most logical
solution to the lack of music education in public schools. With this solution, kids can achieve
their lifelong dream of learning to play an instrument. Keeping music alive is in turn, keeping

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culture alive. Making the best decision possible is crucial for the approval of a proposal and the
success of solving the problem.

Works Cited
Kelley, Jamey, and Steven M. Demorest. "Music Programs In Charter And Traditional Schools."
Journal Of Research In Music Education 64.1 (2016): 88. Advanced Placement Source.
Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

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Rimmer, Mark. "The Participation And Decision Making Of "At Risk" Youth In Community
Music Projects: An Exploration Of Three Case Studies." Journal Of Youth Studies 15.3
(2012): 329-350. ERIC. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.