A Personal Philosophy of Music Education Essay

Living in a world surrounded by noises and sounds, one cannot deny that music lives all around them. Schools, street corners, sporting events, there is one thing you will always find: music. Music education is quickly becoming defunct in schools, as many try to decry its many benefits. A growing emphasis on the concrete subjects of math and science, whose benefits are more immediate, are pushing the creativity and imagination of music classes to the back of the budget. Music education is no longer described as stimulating and exciting, but rather unnecessary and distracting. But the benefits of having an education in music is undeniable. Simply being around music can have a positive impact on life. Music enables the human race to discover emotions that they have never uncovered before. The human mind is refreshed by music; “our imagination and memories are stimulated by the sounds, and summon feelings and memories associated with the musical sound” (Wingell 15). Without music, the world would be silent. Lifeless. No matter what language one speaks or what culture one is from, music is a universal language, connecting the hearts of people around the entire world. In schools throughout the nation, that connection is being severed because of budget cuts and lack of funding, but the benefits of music education are clear. The benefits of having an education in music are not only present in the classroom; a lasting impact is also left on the social and emotional growth of a person, though the gains may not be evinced immediately. Participating in musical education programs in schools can give students the opportunity to form lasting friendships and to gain skills that will last them their entire lives. Music education can be beneficial to students because it enhances students’ performance in the classroom, aids in improving student’s interest and engagement in school, and advances students’ social and emotional growth.

For as long as mankind has walked on this earth, music has been an important part of our culture and lifestyles. Each walk of life beats to a different drum. Different cultures use music for many aspects of their lives; for religious purposes, for celebrations, for comfort, for sorrow, for relaxation, for sports, for dances, for energy, for learning, for sleeping, and for sexual experiences. Everyone uses music for something. Music connects with people and reaches them in ways that words simply cannot. Music is a representation of what feelings sound like. It expresses emotion and brings that characteristic out from within us; it tells us a story. Every generation has its’ own sound and different music styles have emerged and become

“Musical is a universal experience. With few exceptions, all humans perceive musical pitch, tone, timbre, and harmony. We listen to music to relax, to help us think, to celebrate, and grieve. Our emotional responses to music have been noted in literature, poetry, and drama. The power of music to evoke an emotional response is used by advertising companies, film directors, and mothers singing their babies to sleep. Early education teachers are familiar with using music and rhythm as tools for learning language and building memory. (Foran, 2009) Several musical melodies are used in grade school to learn information. Music is used in my math classes across the world to enhance the learning process of formulas. English classes use music help children learn prepositional phrases, adjectives, adverbs, noun, and etc. However, after most scholars reached a certain grade level, using music to achieve new heights academically became a technique of the past. Most instructors didn’t bother using music in order to help retain information. It was almost as if it was forgotten about. But, if music is so important why isn’t it allowed in most classrooms today? Many teachers are not fond of music in the classroom. To many, it is seen as a distraction. Is it the type of music a person chooses to listen to? Would it be different if the music chosen by

Many schools around the country are cutting their music program because of budget cuts in their counties. The arts for some reason are always the first to be cut; apparently the school doesn’t think they are essential to their students learning. Schools try to focus on the more important academic classes because of the high testing standards they must now meet. (Nesoff 2003) This is not just happening in poor school districts it is happening in large districts across the country including magnet schools for the arts: “When Albert Margolis and his wife attended the final music program for their son's kindergarten class in May, they were shocked when a teacher stood up after the performance and

Music is a huge part of my life and very important. Music is my safe place. Something to keep me calm, happy and focused. As a matter of fact, I’m listening to music as I type this. Music is important, and learning about it will just make you appreciate it even more. If you try to compose a piece yourself, you’ll probably appreciate composers a lot, it takes talent to compose something and actually make it sound good. Music education, and just music in general is important.

Music surrounds everyday life no matter where you are in the world. Hollow objects make notes when hit. Small wooden reeds, bamboos, and shells whistle when blown into. Anything tightly stretched twangs when plucked and the human voice has a delightful ability to go up and down at will. Even when wind rustles through the wind, birds chirp, or ocean wave’s tumbling is nature’s form of music. I constantly find myself being enthralled by the various forms music. You could say that in sense music as a whole is a form of art. The sounds that entwine harmonize, are rhythmically pleasing, have dynamics, etc., come together as a whole in order to compose a song. “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” (Confucius)

First of all, music is not just a bunch of sounds, it is a story. Every part symbolizes

As a music teacher, I believe that all students should be given the chance to explore and discover their natural potential as musicians; increasing these capacities through formal music instruction. In my opinion, the goal of music education is to form an appreciation of the music of others and also encourage children to shape their own unique musical identity through academic study and performance. Creating independent musicians should be a guiding purpose of music education.

The arts become a part of a child’s life growing up in a family, socializing with friends, community, and in school. Music education allows for self-expression and connecting students with themselves and others.

I have had the pleasure of teaching in the public school systems in Michigan for 8 years. As a middle school band director, I am handed a new group of beginner instrumentalists each year with the goal of (hopefully) continuing their music education in a slightly more specialized classroom. When I start working with these children, they are in 5th grade. Most of them have come up through the grade levels of my school having had the same music teacher for 5-6 years (depending on whether or not they were enrolled in developmental kindergarten). They have had a very complete curriculum of music in these early years, spending most of their class time singing, playing various instruments, dancing, and being creative the entire hour.

Music education being the right of all children it must be taught in appropriate ways suggested by the geographical cultural and social environment (3). And yes, that is true. Every child should have the write to experience. Every person, in every culture is introduced to some form of music. Whether a person lives in Asia, Africa, Italy, or the USA. That person

Many people believe that the arts, specifically music programs, hold no beneficial value to students other than for an extracurricular activity. Others believe that having these programs within our schools, only takes away from instructional time. However, research has shown that music education, and exposure to music in general, provides great benefits and values to the adolescents that are involved in said programs (“Music Matters”). Participation in music programs promotes the advancement of academic scores and sets students on the path to success later in life. Furthermore, these programs, be it instrumental or vocal, provide an outlet for adolescents to express themselves and have truly lasting implications on their global development. Notwithstanding all of the pleasure and self-confidence gained through participation in music programs, music education may provide important benefits towards students’ academics by improving their concentration levels and cultivating higher order thinking skills that may increase academic achievement.

Music. It’s different to everyone, even if everyone happened to be listening to the same thing. There are health and emotional benefits that come with playing an instrument. It’s so important that every student gets a musical education because knowing an instrument is comparable to you exercising a muscle; music is exercising the brain! The auditory cortex is working hard to process the sound, while the nucleus accumbers, amygdala, and cerebellum are working hard to make you feel. Oh, and you know when you know your favorite part of the song is coming up? Well, that’s when your prefrontal cortex is being activated and is getting anxious (“This is Your Brain on Music” by Knowing Neurons). Being involved in music helps students do better in other subjects. Our brain works harder when we play music, and it increases IQ and improves spatial-temporal skills, which is when students can see elements that should go together, which improves math skills (PBS Parents, “The Benefits of Music Education”). Music affects everyone, reading this might help you realize the beauty of music, learn how it affected me meticulously, and other things about music education.

The stigma associated with pursuing an education in the musical arts affects the decision of many musicians nationwide. The appeal of guaranteed financial and career stability of STEM and other paths of high demand jobs is very difficult to pass up, even by the most dedicated musicians. Then, the input and advice of outsiders come into play. These onlookers not only encourage study of the hard sciences and a foolproof path to success via university, but they also totally and blatantly discourage and belittle the intelligence, rationality and integrity of not just the paths of musicians, but all liberal artists. Don’t you want to make money? What do you mean you won’t have internships, don’t you want a job? How are you going to survive? This blitzkrieg of questioning and doubt, though theoretically peripheral to the bigger picture, is reasonably common, however, severely unjustified. Pursuing a formal college education in music is easily one of the best things you could do for yourself, regardless of whether or not this is the career path of your choosing. As a student of formal music education, you are actually being trained in more real world skills than most other majors, which will prepare you for many careers, making you stand-out amongst the masses. Being a music major, you learn more than just music, you learn problem-solving skills, how to communicate and collaborate, and how to overcome failure, which are all essential skills to have as a professional in today’s day

“Education- should enhance understanding of the world, of oneself, and of one’s own experience” (Kelly 2009). What is important about music education? There are many important aspects in music education like pedagogy and performance. For me, music education is about letting the students express themselves. Having the ability to give an idea or to vent is a vital tool in today’s society. This concept influences music because expression is not only in how to connect a phrase, but also how to tell a story. With my time in college, Dr. Joseph Frye will always tell me to tell a story with music. He will also ask me what I want to feel after playing a piece. This is what I believe is important in music education.