I Want You Back: The Importance Of Music Education

Throughout history music has played an important role in society, whether it was Mozart moving people with his newest opera or the latest album from the Beatles. Where would society be today without music? With schools cutting their music programs, the next Mozart may not get his chance to discover his amazing talent. Music programs are essential to education. To fully understand this one must understand how music helps the human body, why schools have cut music programs, and why people should learn music.

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

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.

For the Arts Making activity the main resource I used was Chapter 9- Music from Delivering Authentic Arts Education by Judith Dinham. The pages on making a percussion instrument gave me ideas on what instrument to create, the materials I would need and the procedure to create it. Also, the section on musical elements allowed me to understand the different aspects of singing and making music which improved my technique and enhanced my performance. In addition, I watched a few videos by singer, songwriter and singing teacher Jules Rendell. These taught me how to make the most of my voice and gave me some tips on how to improve my vocals; thus, improving my overall performance.

America has a great history from the beginning. It began with the migration of people from Europe. They colonized the states and began life there. They eventually fought for their freedom and now are the United States of America. Within this history is another profound history, which is the history of music education in America. Music education has changed and grown dramatically from century to century from the 18th century to present times. Each century show a great moment and growth in the history of music education. This paper will show how music education has grown from the 18th century.

The issue/concern that I am bringing forth in my Capstone project deals with public education. More specifically, music education in secondary school within the public school system. In recent years, the arts have not been the priority in regards to funding and what our youth needs in terms of preparation for the real world. This is partially due to instituting ideas like NCLB (No Child Left Behind) to focus on just the essentials for children to learn. In the academic world, one may refer to this as essentialism in education. As a result, the arts have viewed as not something that is essential. My case originated from my own personal experiences as a music educator and seeing growth from music students.

This article, posted first on The Music Parents Guide, is also available on the NAFME website and was written by Tony Mazzocchi. The article begins with a reference to the recent inclusion of music as a part of core education, considered a progressive step by many in the music education community. However, Tony warns that despite this legal change, schools will need to be convinced to make real changes in supporting their music programs as an equal part of the students’ education. To this end, three reasons are provided for why schools need music today:

As a young boy, Bill Clinton loved everything about his music class in school. Clinton was in the school band and he played the tenor saxophone; it was his favorite pass time. His hard work paid off when he became one of the best saxophone players in his school and won first chair in the state band's saxophone section. Frightened of the future, Clinton used his musical talent to earn multiple academic and musical scholarships for college. Later in his life, Clinton ran for president and became the 42nd President of the United States ("It All Began in a Place Called Hope”). Clinton shows his support for the arts when he states, “I do not think I would have become President if it were not for my school music program” (qtd. in Wise 1). Art and music in public schools are usually funded by the government; however, not everyone agrees that these programs should be funded by the government. There are two main sides to the

Although music education does help increase productivity and overall education in schools, the decline of music can benefit some people. Not everyone in the school likes music. In fact, some people can’t even tolerate the thought of music. Either they don’t find any interest in it or they just are not good at it. People lose interest in things after a while if they don’t

Picture yourself walking through a hallway in a high school The same hallway that every Friday afternoon the band marches down playing music for the football game pep rally. Or, visualize walking by the auditorium and hearing the beautiful, distinct voices of each person in the choir. Now, picture that same school but with no music education, no band, and no glee clubs. Imagine that group of kids for whom music was a major part of their world. Where do you see these kids now? Lost? Hurting? Not able to cope or fit in to a group of people? Wondering where they belong? Music education is slowly getting eliminated in public schools. Without these ensembles, kids do not have a way to express their feelings and are not able to connect with other

Since the financial recession in 2008, 80% of schools in America have cut funding (Boyd). The first programs to go are that of music education. Although some schools have no choice, this cut in one of the most important subjects where children can learn is extremely detrimental to their learning and growth. Music and music education benefits people through childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood and should therefore be kept in schools.

Over 5 million students across our nation are enrolled in a public or private school. (Digest) Just over 2 million of them are involved in some sort of music activity. Many of the activities belong to music programs that are being thrown away and destroyed because of an insufficient amount of funds. (Gorman) Schools across the country are becoming the helpless victims to budget cuts, with music programs taking the biggest hit. Because of the shrinking budgets, school districts around the nation are being forced to drastically decrease the amount of support/funds for their music programs, or to completely cut them out of the district. (Bryant) Along with the increased amount of money that goes to other programs, there is an increase in the amount

Few would argue against the idea that we educate ourselves and our society so that we have adequate means with which to understand and interact with elements of the world around us. Subjects such as mathematics, language, history, and the hard sciences are granted immediate and unquestioned legitimacy in our schools, and with good reason. We encounter each of these elements of our lives on a daily basis. We need to have an understanding of these disciplines in order to interact with them, otherwise they are meaningless to us. I submit that the same can be said for the fundamental concepts of music. Music is something that we encounter in our society every day. It surrounds us. Indeed

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.