Why have music education in schools?
Many people do not realize the importance of music
education in schools, including school administrators. For many students, band,
choir, or orchestra is their safe place. Music is a place where they can
express themselves. It is also a way for students who are not athletic to
participate in extracurricular activities. Music has a great effect on students in their social and educational growth.
How music
education affects students
- Students who studied music performance and music appreciation scored higher on the SAT than students with no arts participation.
- Students who report consistent, high-level involvement in instrumental music over the middle and high school years show significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12.
- Students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district.
- Playing an instrument helps youngsters better process speech in noisy classrooms and more accurately interpret the nuances of language that are conveyed by subtle changes in the human voice.
- Music training improves scores in spatial-temporal reasoning used in higher levels of science and math (Phoenix Symphony).
How music
education affects students outside the classroom
“There is a massive benefit from being musical that we
don’t understand, but it’s individual. Music is for music’s sake,” Rasmussen
says. “The benefit of music education for me is about being musical. It gives
you have a better understanding of yourself. The horizons are higher when you
are involved in music,” he adds. “Your understanding of art and the world, and
how you can think and express yourself, are enhanced.”
Making music involves more than the voice or fingers playing an instrument; a child learning about music has to tap into multiple skill sets, often simultaneously. For instance, people use their ears and eyes, as well as large and small muscles (Brown, PBS).
How to get support for music education
- Have fun! Students will be more interested in your program if they see their classmates having a blast in band or music class.
- Use your students’ voices. Your students can be great promoters. Have your students tell their classmates and their younger friends how much they love your music program.
- Have middle school clinics. Invite local middle schools to come play with your high school band. This will help you get students from your “feeder schools”.
Sources for Music Education:
Taylor,
ReplyDeleteAll the statistics you posted are crazy to me. After elementary school I took no part in music education and after reading this now I with that I would have. I feel that as a future health education teacher I am going to have to learn how to incorporate music into my lessons. I think music is a great way to connect to students and reach out to them. I appreciate your input on music education.
Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI really like the statistics you found. I think it would be awesome if more people knew how important music is for students. As music education majors, we are always defending our place in schools and I think the fact that students involved with music are more likely to do well on standardized tests is a huge selling point. Wether we like it or not, standardized testing is a huge part of education currently and administrators are always looking for a way to raise their school's test scores.
On a side note, Briana, if you are planning to teach Health and Physical Education, you could include cardio drumming in your curriculum. It is a great workout and a wonderful way to incorporate music in your class.
-Katie Shepherd