The Importance of Music Education

960 Words2 Pages

Why have creative skills been put on the back burner in today’s society? Some say that music education is a waste of valuable resources, takes time away from academic subjects, is noisy and distracting, when in reality this is false. Music is a valuable resource that every human being should enjoy. Although our economy has been failing lately, we should not let ourselves believe that the only way to be productive is in a field that makes us unhappy, like computers or science. In America’s recent economic downfall, music education is commonly one of the first programs to be cut in districts around the country; this should not be the case because it benefits students academically, socially, and physically throughout the rest of their lives.

Being involved in a first-class music program improves student’s abilities in other academic areas such as study skills, communication skills, and mathematics and science skills. Singing or playing an instrument is a tenuous thing to master; it takes a lot of practice, which involves problem solving skills, perseverance, and a drive for excellence. Students who excel this skill are often better at studying and following through with their goals because they are patient and know how much work it will take to conquer the subject, or school in general. Schools that have music programs that are rated as “excellent” or “very good” have higher graduation rates, 90.9% compared to 72.9% of those without (MENC Staff 4). When children learn to communicate emotions through music, they find it almost effortless to speak and communicate with others in real life situations. In band or choir they learn how to work with others to create a beautiful product, this ability transfers to teamwork in school and t...

... middle of paper ...

...portant over everything else, but it is not, what’s important is happiness which can be achieved through musical involvement.

Works Cited

Davis, Virginia. "Don’t Stop Advocacy at the Classroom Door! Plating Seeds with Today’s Students." General Music Today 20.3 (2007): 7-10. Professional Development Collection. Web. 21 Oct 2011.

Lehman, Paul R. "A Personal Perspective." Music Educators Journal 88.5 Mar-2002. 47-51. ERIC. Web. 24 Oct 2011.

Paige, Rod and Mike Huckabee. “Arts Education.” childrensmusicworkshop.com. np, 2006. Web. 31 Oct. 2011.

Staff, MENC. "Why Music Education?." MENC-The National Association for Music Education. (2007): n. page. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.

"Why Cut Music Education in Schools?." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow, n.d. Web. 17 October 2011. .

The History of the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival
3126 Words | 7 Pages
Zorn, J (1989, Nov.). The changing role of instrumental music. Music Educators Journal. 76(3), 21-24.
Read More
Why Music Education Is Being Cut
1463 Words | 3 Pages
Sheftel, B. (2002). Music Education Curriculum in Public Schools. PageWise, Inc, Retrieved August 6, 2003
Read More
The Importance of Music Education
1574 Words | 4 Pages
Lewis Brown, Laura. "The Benefits of Music Education." PBS.org. PBS, N.D.. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
Read More
The Importance of Funding Music and Art Programs for Young Students Across America
1684 Words | 4 Pages
Much too often in America today, modern music and art programs in schools are perceived to many as extracurricular activities rather than important subjects that are vital to a students learning and skill development. The truth of the matter is that encouraging music and art education in public schools has a much larger impact on student’s grades, academic performance, and the economy than the majority people realize. Within the next year city school budgets will be dropping by twenty five percent, and despite the fact that music and art programs have been showing a dramatic contribution to student’s learning, this substantial drop in funding for the programs will lead to no dedicated money for art or music programs (Mezzacappa). There is no doubt that a cut in funding for art programs will take a huge toll on students overall grades and test scores. Research has found that the studying of music and art facilitates learning in other subjects and enhances children’s skills in other areas (Brown). Furthermore, providing students with a creative outlet can do great justice in reducing the stress from many other classes and even offer insight for students in possible career paths involving the art field. The art industry today currently supports 4.1 million full-time jobs (Dorfman). By increasing the funding of music and art programs for students preschool through twelfth grade we can see a dramatic increase in the education of children across the United States, assist with skill development in young students, and greatly benefit the economy at the same time.
Read More
Annotated Bibliography: The Benefits Of Music Education
723 Words | 2 Pages
Brown, L. L. (2012, May 25). The Benefits of Music Education. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
Read More
Music in Education
1071 Words | 3 Pages
With school budget cuts, and no music instruments, more and more people are beginning to realize the benefits of having music in education. Providing music as part of education helps develop intelligence that leads to greater success in school and in life. Everyone from VH1 Save The Music to The National Association For Music Education agree that, “Every student in the nation should have an education in the arts.” These two companies are doing everything they can to get out the information about music, and the importance of resorting music education as part of the core curriculum.
Read More
Music as a Tool of Protest and Social Change
1915 Words | 4 Pages
Steven, Kelly, N. (2002). A Sociological Basis For Music Education. International Journal of Music Education. 43. Pp. 40-49
Read More
Music Education in Schools
820 Words | 2 Pages
By providing students with the opportunities to pursue their musical interests, schools are creating environments that foster twenty-first century skills. These skills i...
Read More
Music in Our Schools
1947 Words | 4 Pages
In most recent years, schools have been fighting to keep music programs alive in school systems across the nation. Some schools believe that due to budget factors, music should be cut out of the academic program, to save some money. But what is widely unknown is that schools that have good music programs do better in areas of math and sometimes reading. A high tech music program called Kodaly, was instituted into the schools of Hungary. If a person were to look at the school today, there are “…no third graders who cannot sing on pitch and sing beautifully” (Dickinson, 1993, p.1). Also, the students of the Hungarian schools academic achievement in math and science “ continues to be outstanding” (Dickinson, 1993, p.1). Another report shows that schools that spend 20% to 30% of their day on music (or the arts), have the highest academic achievement (Dickinson, 1993). One study was conducted involving first and second graders at two Rhode Island public elementary schools to show the effects of musical training on academic achievement. In this study, 96 children were used between the ages of 5-7 in eight first grade classrooms. Four of the classrooms were used as control classrooms, which received the standard amount of musical training; forty-five minutes of music that alternates weeks. The other four classrooms were called “test arts“ classrooms. These classrooms received an hour of music per week. After seven months of this training, the students were all given a standardized test. It was then concluded from the tests, that 77% of the “test arts” classes “…were now at grade level or above in mathematics, as compared to 55% of those in the control groups” (MENC, #1). This clearly shows that if ...
Read More
The Education System
1002 Words | 3 Pages
middle of paper ... ... Music was not taught in the high school I was in. To satisfy my interest in learning about music and how to play musical instruments, I had to find a source of education other than school; a great depiction in agreement with Graff’s claim that students are being limited by not considering their interests when creating curricula (Graff 197). In conclusion, education is broader than just falling into what the contemporary school system has to offer. Both Gatto and Graff proved this by explaining how conforming students to certain perspectives of education limits their potential in other educational branches that interest the students.
Read More
Music Education: The Key to Student Success
1625 Words | 4 Pages
A school’s curriculum stands by the three “Rs” – reading, writing, and arithmetic – but what about rhythm? Because of budget cuts, many schools throughout the United States have thrown their chorus, orchestra, and band programs into the pile of the “over” and “done with.” In multiple cases, music programs get the boot just because there are no standardized tests for it. Schools like these could not be bringing a greater injustice upon students. Music programs are special in the way that they benefit every aspect of the pupil. It has been proven that music education better shapes the mind, body, and heart of all involved, making music unique and vital to the education system. Music education should be supported by schools because it promotes healthy living, improves brain function, and transforms students into better citizens.
Read More
The Importance Of Music Education
1445 Words | 3 Pages
Since the beginning of public education, educators have been trying to figure out how they can create the finest most successful students by giving them the tools to succeed and ability to adapt to any situation in an exciting and engaging way. The answer has already been found and yet it is struggling to hold its place in the public school curriculum. The answer is music education. The way music education is viewed by other areas of academic interest effects how it is treated. To convince non-musicians of the importance of music education, they must learn what musicians already know. They must learn what music education is capable of doing for the education of students everywhere. Once what music education can do for every person’s career and ability to succeed in the world is made common knowledge, a change in priorities can be made and music education will be realized as an essential.
Read More
The Importance of Arts Education
1494 Words | 3 Pages
The Importance of Arts Education Jane Alexander, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), once said, “Many children are missing out on something which gives their education context, gives their lives depth and meaning, and prepares them to be the future workforce.” This “something” that she spoke of is music and art education. Unfortunately, she is entirely correct. We are currently seeing a dramatic cut in arts education curriculum in our public schools due to the limited amount of time and funding. In many cases, budget cutbacks mean arts education cutbacks.
Read More
Persuasive Essay On Music Education
844 Words | 2 Pages
Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “Without music, life would be a mistake”. Music is almost as old as the human race and is as much a part of it as anything. So why would anyone choose to get rid of it? An Increasing number of schools across the nation are deciding to cut music education programs. This includes band, orchestra, choir, and general music classes. In 1991, 55.4 percent of public school eighth-graders took part in music classes at school. In 2004, this figure was just 49.1 percent. Money plays a huge role in this statistic: “...when funds are scarce, arts courses are usually the first to be dropped from a school’s curriculum” (“Arts Education”). While many argue that music education is an unnecessary cost for schools, it improves student’s overall well being.
Read More
Listening to Music while Studying
865 Words | 2 Pages
Petersen, Cheyenne. "Music is key to learning." Capital City Weekly 30 January 2013, n. pag. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
Read More

Open Document

Wait a second!

The Importance of Music Education

The History of the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival

Why Music Education Is Being Cut