Ogden 1

Josh Ogden
Lisa Griffin
English 1010
12/20/16
On the Importance of Music Education in Schools
Everyone loves music. Music has a way of communicating emotion in a
way that words never can. Author Rachel Wolchin famously said, the most
important things dont fit into words, thats why theres music. Plato made a
similar observation: music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind,
flight to the imagination, and light to everything. Music means so much to a
lot of people, and yet in the midst of economic hardship many school
districts are cutting education in the arts (Tony). While nobody really dislikes
music education, many underestimate its importance compared to math,
science, English, and history; in other words, they are focused on subjects
that will help the students standardized test scores. While all these things
are important, the importance of music education cannot be diminished.
Education in the arts develops a childs brain in a way core subjects never
can, it provides a medium for expression and emotional development, and
playing in an ensemble develops the kind of team work and camaraderie
that kids who are less inclined to play sports may never experience
otherwise. In short, when a budgetary committee has to make cuts, music
education should not be at the top of their list.

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It is common knowledge that creating music requires a unique use of

brainpower. Playing and instrument requires hand-eye-coordination, music
reading skills, constant attention to detail, and personal creativity, all being
used simultaneously in a way that can only be seen in this activity. When
trained in music at an early age, small children develop both sides of their
brain simultaneously (National Association for Music Education). These
statistics are all well and good, but what proof is there that this development
extends to other areas? The brain growth that occurs when child is taught
music doesnt only help them in furthering their musical talents; it can assist
them in other subjects as well. This is known as transfer. When a child is
confronted with a challenge that is similar to something they have already
learned in a fun and interactive way in their music class, they can deal with
that challenge much easier. For example, the proportional and fractional
reasoning required for rhythm instruction directly correlates with spatialtemporal reasoning, an essential part of mathematics (Kalivretenos). A more
concrete evidence of this is the fact that a ten-year study of over 25,000
middle and high school students showed that students with musical
backgrounds received higher scored on standardized tests than their nonmusical peers. The musical students scored, on average, sixty-three points
higher on the verbal section and forty-four points higher on the math
sections of the SATs than non-music students (Kalivretenos). Locally, the last
two people to receive a perfect score on the ACT both happened to be
excellent cellists.

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Music Education is also a very effective way for kids to find a medium
for expression. Music is an incredibly powerful way to express emotion in a
way that 1000 words may never be able to do. One needs only to listen to
Samuel Barbers Adagio for Strings or the soundtrack to Schindlers List to
get an idea of the extent of the emotional power music can convey. Peter
Greene aptly described the magic of music when he said:
Music is freakin magical. In 40-some years I have never gotten over it
you take some seemingly random marks on a page, you blow air
through a carefully constructed tube, and what comes out the other
side is a sound that can convey things that words cannot. And you just
blow air through a tube. Or pull on a string. Or whack something. And
while we can do a million random things with a million random objects,
somehow, when we just blow some air through a tube, we create
sounds that can move other human beings, can reach right into our
brains and our hearts. That is freakin magical.
This ability to express and feel emotion is what makes music so special and
unique for everyone, something that many if not all kids wouldnt be able to
have otherwise. Confucius once said, Music produces a kind of pleasure
which human nature cannot do without (Kalivretenos). Listening to music is
profoundly human. It lets us touch and understand some of our most
complicated feelings. It helps us know who we are, what we want, how to be
ourselves in the world (Greene). Musics ability to let mankind share and
feel emotional bonds is perhaps its most compelling and intrinsic defense.

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Emerson put it well when he said, Beauty is its own excuse for being
(Greene). Music is also a way to relieve stress and feel proud of
achievements (National Association for Music Education). Theres no feeling
in the world like what a musician feels when they nail a song they have been
working on for a long time. It gives the musician a sense of achievement and
gratification that reinforces self-confidence and work ethic.
One of the most important things to most high-schoolers is their social
life. While this isnt the purpose of school, it is an undeniable fact of life.
Being in music classes helps students that may otherwise have trouble
making friends find peers with shared interests. This means music is a
double-edged sword against depression and suicide; it is inherently a stressreliever and provides opportunities to find friends to share burdens and
comfort when times get tough. Not only does music develop social skills in
this sense, it also develops teamwork and cooperation skills. Section leaders
in an ensemble quickly learn that leadership isnt about gratifying ones ego;
it is about helping every member of the group achieve their full potential to
benefit the group as a whole. Other section members learn that it is every
group members job to learn and work hard on the music, that every player
is important (Kalivretenos). Skills like these have almost endless applications
both in the workplace and adult life and in a students education now.
Studies show that students with musical backgrounds cooperate better with
teachers and other students than those without a musical background would
(Kalivretenos). Music is a prolific builder of social skills.

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While no one really denies that music education is a good thing, many
argue that it should take a lower level of importance compared to other
subjects. The increased importance of standardized test scores to a students
future (Kalivretenos), mean that districts are becoming increasingly focused
on subjects that are at the top of the academic hierarchy. Academic
ability not the capacity for creative thought still dominates (views) of
intelligence and therefore school budget priorities (Tony), and thus the
arts are often at the top of the cut list. This is counterintuitive, given the fact
that, as was mentioned earlier, music students have statistically higher test
scores than their peers (Kalivretenos). One needs only to look at the United
States academic standing in the world to realize that this habit of cutting the
arts first is not helping the countrys rankings, in fact, its hurting it (Tony).
The importance of music is even emphasized in the No Child Left Behind Act,
which classifies arts education as a core subject, on the same level as
subjects like math and science (Kalivretenos).
The recent recession meant that 80 percent of schools had to make
budget cuts (Metla). With the low funds that schools have to support
themselves, many committees place music at the top of the list of cuts to be
made. As music programs are cut, thousands of kids are deprived of
something very important that they may not be able to receive elsewhere: a
musical education. Music education develops the entire brain in a very
profound and unique way, provides a source of happiness and expression for
all who participate in it, and develops social skills in a way that many kids

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wouldnt have otherwise. The importance of keeping musical education in

schools cannot be underemphasized, and budgetary committees must make
cuts elsewhere if they want to use their funds in a way that will most benefit
the children they are responsible for.

Bibliography
Greene, Peter. Stop 'Defending' Music Education. n.d.
Kalivretenos, Alexis. "The Importance of Music Education." n.d.
TheHumanist.com. <https://thehumanist.com/features/articles/theimportance-of-music-education>.
Metla, Valeriya. School Art Programs: Should They be Saved? n.d.
National Association for Music Education. "20 Important Benefits of Music in
Our Schools." n.d. nafme.org. <www.nafme.org/20-important-benefitsof-music-our-schools/>.
Tony. The Truth About Why Music is Cut From Schools (and What We Can Do
About It). n.d.