Altadore Music Classroom

Throughout the reading this week, the information presented in David Elliott and Bennett Reimer’s texts stressed the importance of music and more specifically, music education. “People everywhere find music rewarding, and everywhere we find people engaged in formal and non-formal efforts to teach and learn music.” (Elliott, 2014, p. 4)

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.

Elementary schools and high schools across the U.S. have lately suffered from financial strain. Because of this, budget cuts have to be made and music programs often suffer before sports and academics. Although some people believe that music is not a key component in preparing for employment and higher education, yet several others express otherwise, who say music has been shown to stimulate other parts of a student’s mind that can help them excel. Statistics have shown that the correlation between music class and other academia is not only positive for students, but also can improve future scholastic abilities, and thus should not be cut from schools. Through the evaluation of various sources

* “when you speak with great educators, and look behind the test scores, the lessons learned in studying music, learning to play an instrument, playing in a band, learning to read music, all provide a richness to a child's education that will last a lifetime,” (par 1).

I can say I’m a multi-instrumentalist. I can play the harmonica, the trombone, the ukulele, the bass, the piano, the electric and acoustic guitar, and I’m probably forgetting one. But really I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for her” (Montes). “One of the big things I teach my kids is how through hard work, you can accomplish anything. Whenever a kid shows up to a lesson, I always ask them if they practiced, and sometimes they say no because they don’t have a piano at home. It reminds me of the days when I couldn’t even afford a piano, but I push those thoughts away and work towards helping these kids fulfill their dreams as I’ve fulfilled mine. Music teaches the kids how to work through a tough song, and through time and practice, they always get it at the end” (LaBeau). Ronnie’s School of Music has performed annually for several of the city’s prominent events: the Arroyo Lighting at Christmas, Saint Anthony’s Fall Festival, Winter Texan festivals, and many more. LaBeau teaches students of all ages, from three to ninety seven. The majority of her students, however, come from Saint Anthony Catholic

Across the United States many elementary school music classrooms are filled with simple and popular tunes such as Hot Cross Buns and The Ode to Joy, played on the recorder, while high school students may be playing collegiate or professional pieces of music such as Armenian Dances and Carmen Suites. I have been very fortunate to have gone on the journey of progressing through different music education programs within Fairfax County Public Schools. If I was never exposed to music while in elementary school I might not have ever found one of my greatest passions or been able to create such fond and unforgettable memories. While music education programs across the country appear large and strong, many schools are beginning to experience budget reductions. As a result, music is often the very first component of a school 's curriculum or programs to be cut or significantly reduced, but I believe this is not the right course of action. It is important to preserve and promote music education in public schools because of the proven cognitive, character,and academic benefits for students.

Throughout the past year, I have observed students at various levels at the DSR, and consistently witness the power of the unparalleled education and experience the students are receiving, whether the student is five years old, or fifty. The classes that occur every week are more than just music classes; music is the core of a joyful and hugely influential way to educate and enrich the lives of those students who are involved.

Cercone goes into detail on how studies have shown that music classes benefit a child’s learning process, test scores, and other areas of academic study. These support her argument and are all facts that her readers cannot properly disagree with. Cercone discusses how attitude and academics depend on one another to enhance a student’s learning and she goes one step further in explaining how this goes on in the music classroom, strengthening her thesis.

Another factor in creating a positive classroom environment is providing feelings of safety: learners should feel physically and emotionally secure (Eggen & Kauchak, 2007, p. 348). This becomes a particular challenge in the band room. Often the aspect of solo performance is “scary” to students, and they feel vulnerable in the classroom when asked to play a solo or demonstrate a passage alone. The teacher can take several measures to foster emotional security in the classroom while developing performance skills. Demonstration of caring is one step. Another is an explicit emphasis on the class as being a “haven of creativity” (Musco, 2008, para. 7), with an emphasis on process instead of results. Taking away the importance of perfection makes it “okay” to make mistakes as part of learning. Frequent performance opportunities and teaching solo-related skills such as improvisation can lead to increased confidence, as well. Finally, scaffolding can also be employed: for example, having the clarinet section play a passage together, then two

The classroom has always been a place for learning and taking on new challenges. Normally, the discovery has some kind of connection to the class one is taking, however recently 11 out of 10 students have reported a new kind of discovery: a musical one.

Scientists have established the existence of strong links between music and personal development. They claim that playing an instrument can increase the student’s sense of achievement, self-esteem, confidence; persistence, punctuality and discipline (Gardiner et al. 1996)

Music has multiple learning benefits, and recent studies establish a casual relationship between music and enhanced learning ability (6). Music has also been shown to have benefits later in life. "Successful music students develop the skills necessary for a variety of occupations. Successful music students tend to posses the qualities and skills that are generally considered essential to employers in business education, and service organizations (6). " "The Norwegian Research Council for Science and the Humanities has found a connection between students having music competence and high motivations in that they were more likely to achieve success in school (6). " The Music Education Association also says " It has also been found that through involvement, in group music activities on the high school level, individual learn to support each other, maintain commitment and bond together for group goals (6). " The last thing the Music Education Association says about how music improves the mind is that " Music Education Association feels and has observed that student involvement in school music has a

Music strengthens a student’s memorization and comprehension skills as much, if not more, than any core subject they participles in at school. Playing an instrument is cognitively taxing. Notes and fret patterns not only requires memorization to be played in a song, but also promote hand eye coordination. Math is analogous to music. In math class a student learns how to problem solve by memorizing a sequential order. Musicians use the same method for learning a new song. According to a study published in the journal Psychology of Music “Children exposed to a multi-year program of music tuition involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers.” As this research indicates student’s cognitive abilities are positively impacted by their participation in music training.

The article “The effects of music on achievement, attitude and retention in primary school English lessons” by Koksal, Yagisan, and Cekic show the impact music has in the classroom. The Article claims “best learning environment is one that includes music” (Köksal, et al. 1897). Meaning music activates different parts of the brain that coincide with memory. Through an experimental study mentioned in the article shows music has a “increased achievement in English vocabulary learning” (Köksal, et al. 1899). Memory channels are activated and students are able to retain what is being taught through the use of music. Therefore the article suggests music is a method that can be used in primary schools to exercise the mind helping students hold onto what they learn for longer periods of time. The authors argue music brings out a different level of intelligence in the classroom. However the article fails to briefly describe traditional methods, other possible methods, and possible defaults of a music learning environment jeopardizing a overall well conducted study of music used as a source of education.

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.