Music Is A Social Activity

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.

Throughout my life, no single thing has had a greater impact than music. It has made me who I am today, and I cannot remember a time when music wasn’t a huge part of myself - my earliest memories all contain the music that my parents played. Beyond being a product purely for enjoyment, as it was for a long time in my earliest years, music has gone on to become a fundamental part of who I am, how I spend my time, and who I spend that time with. It motivates me to be better for numerous reasons. I credit my early involvement in music with most of the successes I have had to this date.

For years, music classes have been the ugly ducklings of school curriculums, the last courses to be added, the first courses to be cut. They have always taken second place to traditional academic classes. Music, however, has proved itself to be extremely beneficial time and time again, from the undeniable improvement in grades regarding traditional academic classes to the glowing remarks from music students everywhere. In an ever-changing world, the addition of music education in schools needs to be next on the academic agenda. Music education should be a required component in all schools due to the proven academic, social, and personal benefits that it provides.

Teaching music comes in all different kinds of methods and views. Music plays a very vital role in our school systems, and is arguably just as important as any other subject. The teacher pays various roles in the classroom, but always keeps the students’ best interest in mind. The student also plays various roles in the classroom, but is always expected to come to class ready to learn. The curriculum allows teachers to create clear and concise lesson plans that fit the students needs. And effective instructional methods will vary from student to student, and effective teachers will try several methods to breakthrough to the student.

Music, for many cultures, is held at a high prestige. It has been used since the beginning of time to elicit power, emotion, spiritual forces, and a sense of community among its listeners. It has helped us, as music enthusiasts, to understand the role that music plays within our own lives in today’s society, as well as how it has functioned in the lives of those before us. So why is this? What makes music, instead of other forces, so influential to our kind? In Thomas Turino’s book Music as Social Life, he argues that, “Musical participation and experience are valuable for the processes of personal and social integration that make us whole” (Turino, 2008). Many believe that music offers us a source of identity, which in turn develops our idea of self and allows us to fit inside certain communities throughout our lives. Turino also describes a theory proposed by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi that offers additional incites to this idea of “psychic wholeness”. This theory introduces the theme of flow and how heightened concentration can produce an optimal experience when associated with music. This paper will address these concepts stated above in association with the African American spiritual. The spiritual will be traced back to its origin in West Africa, described how it evolved as a result of the transatlantic slave trade, and the influence that it has on today’s genres like blues and gospel. I propose that, these notions of flow and identity within the music of

“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

Music is everywhere and has been a part of human existence for eons (Dinham, 2014, p. 265). Music has been a part of Australian schools for the last hundred of years, over the last fifteen years the application of music has seen a drastic change with the appearance of the internet and increase of accessibility. In spit of this the elements of music has not changed and forms the basis of music. When teachers or children sing they use those elements automatically (Dinham, 2014, p. 270). The curriculum has an expectation that children will learn to listen to music, compose and make music (ACARA, July, 2013, p. 93). There is a range of music that can be used to teach children; explore music concepts, by singing, playing instruments, by listening, composing songs or music, dancing or moving on music. Children, through participation and appreciation will discover about themselves form bonds with other children and become more aware of different cultures (Dinham, 2014, p. 266). Teacher’s participation, regardless of status, need to ensure that children are getting an education in music. The opportunities and experiences, to create, perform and record given to us as pre services teachers will be of a great help when facing the task of teaching children music in schools. Art education depends on how to motivated and support children, scaffolding their learning, and build on their enthusiasm to join the praxis of

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

Silence. This is what many people would hear if they walked into just one of the many music halls in a school whom has cut their music program. Many schools across the nation are suffering from severe budget cuts, and sadly music is far too often the first on the list to go. Music in the American public school system is often a way for students to express themselves and develop a sense of pride and devotion by being a musician. Yet, music education has been proven to improve young students’ cognitive capabilities, music programs are still being cut from the curriculum in schools across the nation. Funding, nation testing standards, availability, and participation are major factors whether a program may or may not stay in American classrooms, which demonstrates America’s destructive need for results from students to be tangible at the expense of the enjoyment of students.

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.

Dick Clark once said, “Music is the soundtrack of your life.” With this quote, I remember walking into Baldwin Road Middle School’s orchestra room as a 6th grader. I noticed as you walked in, there was a black piano. The back of the room showed a mirror that filled the entire wall. Then in my hands, was a beautiful broken, rusted violin. Opening its case, I never realized how such a small fragile wooden object could make an enormous sound. I wasn’t the only one in the room. I could see about 30 other kids, sitting in seats, taking in the aroma of our first orchestra class. “I will be with these kids for the next 7 years.” I thought to myself.

After evaluating student’s responses, it is important to recognize that teachers and directors have different perspectives and views. Mrs. Grizzle, the director here at VCMS, and three students were asked a series of questions regarding how music can help them and other students. Furthermore, Mrs. Grizzle has said, “ I hope that I impact students to have confidence in themselves, constantly work for improvement, and accept everyone.” This shows us just how much

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.

The research of this article supports the idea that students in the United States listen to a vast quantity of music totaling over 10,500 hours a year, within 12 years of educating. Still, numerous educators don't know how to utilize music successfully into their day by day classroom curriculum. For example, music can be utilized to set the classroom atmosphere, move subject changes, and to help with catching the eye of our young males. Likewise, educators can assemble an assortment of tunes from various genres or give a genre that will symbolize a subject. This can help and caution grade school boys of a shift with subjects. This can likewise help with keeping up the consideration of males. Depending upon the strength or style of music selected,

Music classes are essential for schools to have so students can have the opportunity to discover their passion. When districts face challenges in their budget, they can still offer music for their school. Music electives in school are worthy to be held, they have many benefits for students that help them with anything they strive to accomplish. We see how important these music classes are to students. Though they may seem as just a pass-time or hobby, they can deeply affect an individual student who wants to learn. Let us not take that opportunity away from those talented students. If American districts haven’t had the privilege of music in their schools, their students would have missed the opportunity to become something more than what they could have become if they haven’t had music classes. You can do something about this issue today! Promote your school to use their fundings wisely so they can afford music electives. You can also help students discover their passion by supporting the music programs in your own school. If we all do this, students and schools will be much more