The Case for Keeping Music Education in Our Schools
Music education is important for successful academic performance. My
personal experiences with my own children confirm my belief that music
education is vital to student achievement. My children showed marked
improvement when music education was added to their daily routine,
either within their school curriculum or through private lessons. My
son’s academic performance improved when he began playing the trombone
in his high school marching band. When my daughter began playing the piano, her ability to recall information improved along with her reading
comprehension skills. After a little more than one year of lessons,
she now excels in every subject area. Both children’s level of self
confidence has greatly increased. They both feel successful and now
enjoy school and lead more fulfilled lives.
If you have the resources, and your child is willing, then music tuition is a great option. From classical piano to a guitar and looping pedal, every musical taste can be catered for.
Many other parents have told me similar stories of both typical and special needs children. I am constantly hearing about how music helps
their children focus, memorize things, and improve grades.
Our local teachers and administrators feel strongly that music education is directly correlated to student achievement.
Our middle school principal, Brad Brown, states, “When I was a HS
principal in Calhoun GA ….. our STAR student/teacher area consisted of
about 40 high schools ….every year at the awards banquet, students told a
little about themselves and their plan for the future ….. I can say
with confidence that about 80%+ were involved in some sort of music
education (band, chorus, literary-quartet-trio, etc)”
Various teachers in our local schools state the following:
“I am a FIRM believer in music education in the schools! I have many
students who don’t do well in other classes, but do very well for me.
Also, I believe that music training lengthens attention span. In a world
where students are bombarded with commercials every 10-15 minutes of a
television show, things like music (which can go uninterrupted for 30-50
minutes sometimes) strengthen their ability to focus on one thing. Many
students (even some that I don’t teach) pile in my room in the morning
just to play the piano…even boys who wouldn’t be caught dead in a chorus
class love music and enjoy playing an instrument.” – Ashley Conway,
North Hall Middle School, Gainesville, Georgia
“Based on well over 23 years experience with hundreds and hundreds of
top 10% students, I have always said that there is a strong correlation
between intelligence, achievement, and music… I noticed very early in
my career, especially while teaching advanced placement and honors
classes, that large percentages of these students played musical instruments in the band or orchestra; sang in choir or in school plays,
or used music as a basis for completing certain projects in social
studies… I’m 100% convinced that the correlation is high!” – Rand
Bissell, North Hall High School, Gainesville, Georgia
“I use a couple of songs in math to teach concepts. I have one for
teaching mean, median, mode and range and then at the end of the last 9
weeks, I have one that teaches adding and subtracting integers. I know a
couple of other teachers that use songs to teach concepts also. My
niece and nephew went to Athens Christian School and they can still sing
some of the songs they used to learn formulas…” – Martha Hulsey, North
Hall Middle School, Gainesville, Georgia
Although I have completed enough personal research to make my case,
there is a wealth of information and research already available to
anyone who wishes to educate themselves on the correlation between music
education and student achievement. An article written by Eileen Bailey
in March of 2008 suggests that music helps students with Dyslexia. Her
research revealed that the ability to process parts of the spoken
language improved with mastering a musical instrument. When students hum
to themselves or put mathematical facts or other information to music,
their school performance improves. [Music Helps Children with Dyslexia,
March 14, 2008, Eileen Bailey].
Many schools use Music Therapists to satisfy IEP (Individual
Education Plan) goals. Music Therapists are utilized to help
mainstreamed learners as well as improve communication skills and
physical coordination [American Music Therapy Association, 1999, AMTA
Website].
Music education helps both typical and special needs children improve
performance in school. Parents, school administrators, teachers, and
professionals around the nation agree. Music Education must continue to
be a vital tool for improving student achievement. It is my hope that
every school district in the nation will continue to make music
education a priority and find a way to keep music education a part of
the school curriculum.
