The Importance of Music in Learning & Education

[moxham123]

The following statements were compiled by the Florida State Music Educators Association from research, studies, and tests conducted on the impact of the arts (particularly music) on learning and education.

An education in the arts encourages high achievement.

Study of the arts encourages a suppleness of the mind, a toleration for ambiguity, a taste for nuance, and the ability to make trade-offs among alternative courses of action.

Study of the arts helps students to think and work across traditional disciplines. They learn both to integrate knowledge and to "think outside the box."

An education in the arts teaches student how to work together cooperatively.

An education in the arts builds an understanding of diversity and the multi-cultural dimensions of our world.

An arts education insists on the value of content, which helps students understand "quality" as a key value.

An arts education contributes to technological competence.
Students who report consistent high levels of involvement in instrumental music over the middle and high school years show significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12.

Student involvement in the arts associates with a variety of development for youth: gains in reading proficiency, gains in self concept and motivation, and higher levels of empathy and tolerance for others.

The U.S. Department of Education recommends the arts to college-bound middle and junior high school students asserting, “Many colleges view participation in the arts and music as valuable experience that broadens students’ understanding and appreciation of the world around them.” In addition, it plays a part in developing “children’s intellectual development.”

The arts are one of the six subject areas in which the College Board recognizes as essential in order to thrive in college.

The arts produce jobs, generating an estimate $37 billion with a return of $3.4 billion in federal income taxes

Students taking courses in music performance and music appreciation scored higher in the SAT than students with no arts participation. Music performance students scored 53 points higher on the verbal and 39 points higher on the math. Music appreciation students scored 61 points higher on the verbal and 42 points higher on the math.

According to the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, music students received more academic honors and awards than non-music students. A higher percentage of music participants received As, As/Bs, and Bs than non-music participants.

Music majors comprise the highest percentage of accepted medical students at 66%.

Research made between music and intelligence concluded that music training is far greater than computer instruction in improving children’s abstract reasoning skills

The University of Montreal researched brain imaging techniques to study brain activity during musical tasks. Researches concluded that sight-reading musical scores and playing music “activate regions in all four of the cortex’s lobes” and “parts of the cerebellum are also activated during those tasks.”

Researchers discovered through the use of brain scans that musicians had larger planum temporale, the region of the brain associated with reading skills. Also, musicians had a thicker corpus callosum, the nerve fibers that connect the two halves of the brain.

The arts enrich communities and employees, and also stimulate the kind of intellectual curiosity our company needs to stay competitive
Arts Education aids students in skills needed in the workplace: flexibility, the ability to solve problems and communicate; the ability to learn new skills, to be creative and innovative, and to strive for excellence

Music training is far superior to computer instruction in dramatically enhancing children's abstract reasoning skills necessary for learning math and science. Learning music at an early age causes long-term enhancement of spatial-temporal reasoning

Music -- specifically song -- is one of the best training grounds for babies learning to recognize the tones that add up to spoken language.
Studies have indicated that sequential, skill-building instruction in art and music integrated with the rest of the curriculum can greatly improve children's performance in reading and math.

Music lessons, and even simply listening to music, can enhance spatial reasoning performance, a critical higher-brain function necessary to perform complex tasks including mathematics.

A study revealed that adults who listened to music of complexity for ten minutes or so experienced temporary increases in their spatial IQ scores.

Music Is One of Our Greatest Economic Exports. "The arts are an economic plus -- second only to aerospace as our most lucrative national export."

Teacher Expertise in Music is a Critical Factor in Student Learning. Research indicates that teachers of all subjects -- including music -- who are more experienced and educated are more effective in the classroom. Consequently, students learn more from them.

Music and the Fine Arts have been a significant portion of every culture’s educational system for more than 3,000 years.

The human brain has been shown to be “hard-wired” for music; there is a biological basis for music being an important part of human experience.

Most present day artists, architects, and musicians acquired their interests during public school Fine Arts classes.

Education without the Fine Arts is fundamentally impoverished and subsequently leads to an impoverished society.

The most rigorous review of all studies (Reviewing Education and the Arts Project Report (REAP)) shows there are significant, reliable causal relationships between the systematic, formal study of music and gains in mathematics and in spatial-temporal relationships.

Brain studies show the development of more extensive neural connections in musicians

Music and Fine Arts are an academic area of study equal to reading, writing, mathematics and science.

Where music and Fine Arts programs have been eliminated because of funding difficulties, students have been deprived of a significant opportunity of learning and knowing about the world around them.

The Arts have a positive impact not only on a community's quality of life, but also on its bottom line.

[getclosertothemusic]

Ahhhhhhh.....

Someone else has discovered the "Benefits of Music and Music Education"
not to mention the Health Benefits, Mozart Effect, Classic Cradle, etc.....


WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO.......

But schools are cutting music programs, less kids are participating in school bands.
We as an organization, parents, and musicians need to keep this from happening....Do your part, "Please support music and music education with your children in your community"...

Get an Altoona Mirror for October 6th 2006 and look at the front page of the life section and also www.getclosertothemusic.org

Thank You
GCTTM

[skipisode]

It is sad that music education in schools is being cut (and has been for years). You only have to look at all the great thinkers, etc. throughout history to see the benefits. If you check this out; you'll find that DaVinci,
Galileo, Einstein, Mozart, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., all enjoyed music and art throughout their lives. And gee, do you think they were enriched by this?

Music and art benefit everyone! Support it!!!!!!

[getclosertothemusic]

Its also a shame that so may people close their eyes and ears.
Turn their heads and ignore that nothings wrong, don't want to get involved, or it will fix itself....


Really a shame

Like Hawk said in his political thread get off your tush and do something about it (in short).....

[ZappasXWife]

It is sad that music education in schools is being cut (and has been for years).

Yea, but WHATEVER you do, don't cut the sports program! At least not in PA. Being sarcastic of course....

[lonewolf]

Unfortunately, popular "role models" are more scarce than ever.

Popular music needs to be taken back by musicians with instruments in their hands instead of the VJs with the ridiculous remix equipment.

If young kids don't see very many people playing instruments on MTV or other music TV, they probably won't think that playing instruments is cool.

[grimmbass]

Yeah...Humanities and Arts are always first on the chopping block when budgets get tight. This problem is getting worse, not better, even in "rich" school districts. I recently read an article that stated that some schools in California's "Silicon Valley" were spending approximately .50 per student in arts education. 50 cents PER STUDENT PER YEAR.

People on the left are (stereo)typically pro-arts, while people on the right are (stereo)typically against public arts funding. As many of our Rockpage brothers and sisters are adamantly right-wing AND pro-music, I'd like to hear what they think about the constant decrease of government funding for public school music programs.

Right-wing Rock Pagers: Should the government pay for our kids to get a musical education, or should culture and art be cut out of schools?

[YankeeRose]

The vast majority of news about Music Programs is not good. However, my son's school loaned him a beautiful, new Violin!




Lonewolf, one of my favorite Bands is Porcupine Tree. I recently viewed a DVD of theirs and Steven Wilson has a Guitar quite similar to, if not the same as, the Green one with the Eagles that you had at the GCTTMC. It took me a bit to remember where I'd seen a Guitar like that, in person so to speak, but then the lightbulb went off!

[BDR]

My oldest daughter, during her senior year in high school, placed first at state chorus. The same year, a guy in her class won states in wrestling.

When the yearbooks came out, there was a two-page, double-truck spread, congratulating the meathead wrestler for his "grand achievement." He was celebrated in the community as a hero. There was not even a mention of my daughter's achievement in chorus in that yearbook ... same level of success — state champion — but no recognition.

Sports generate revenue, the arts do not. It's sad when our schools teach our children that the only thing worth striving for is athletic supremacy.

Athletic talent wanes over time with wear and tear on the body. My grandmother played piano until her death at 87.

r:>)

[byndrsn]

Ya know what is funny? (ironic funny?)

I had my 20 year reunion last summer. I got to see people that I haven't seen in years. Some of these people were the "Jocks" at the time and their whole lives revolved around that image. At the time music and the band (concert and marching) was a huge part of my life.

Well, I made an observation that most of those so called "jocks" were no longer fit enough to really play sports like they did in High School. What was the biggest part of their lives is now well behind them.

But, us musicians on the other hand are still able to do the one thing that we love doing - playing music. Beyond Reason played the reunion and I made sure that some of my ex-band friends sat in with us. It was great to have Val (one of the girls on the drum line) on the drum kit and Matt and Alan (both trumpet players) join us in a jammin long version of Mustang Sally.

At least with music we can entertain others, we can entertain ourselves and we can continue to do so for many many years. With music we can actually get better as we age, but with sports you usually deteriorate with age.

Urbs

[grimmbass]

So, shoud tax dollars pay for music/humanities education or not?

[jangel]

Something I'll always remember...when my first son was born the pediatrition as he was examining him said to me, Sports are ok, but encourage him into music and the arts. He was a Dr with a German accent. He said I know as a father you are looking for an athelete a football player etc. But how many sports people have changed the course of history. And he was right. Music lasts a lifetime.....sports is but a short blip in life. And in sports like history it repeats itself ( by the same people repeating their sport stories over & over). Playing music you have fresh stories weekly!

[RobTheDrummer]

The real problem behind the loss of music programs are the school boards. You get these idiots elected on school boards that have no children and are all about money and what's the best way for the school to make money. They need people on the boards that are about EDUCATION and the FUTURE of children! Isn't that what school is about?

[bassist_25]

Ya know what is funny? (ironic funny?)

I had my 20 year reunion last summer. I got to see people that I haven't seen in years. Some of these people were the "Jocks" at the time and their whole lives revolved around that image. At the time music and the band (concert and marching) was a huge part of my life.

Well, I made an observation that most of those so called "jocks" were no longer fit enough to really play sports like they did in High School. What was the biggest part of their lives is now well behind them.

I like that story, Tom.

I was far from being a jock in highschool. I actually think that it's asinine that the state requires you to pass gym class but doesn't require you to pass reading class, but I digress. The funny thing is that I didn't get "Most Musical" for the senior superlatives, yet I'm probably the only one in my graduating class to actually do anything with music after I graduated. I think I remember Lonewolf once said that even though he didn't get "Most Musical," he was actually a gigging musician his senior year. Music's given me so much, including many new friends; it's helping put me through college; plus the carthartic effect.

But highschool was a joke. Anyone who refers to those as "The Best Years of Your Life" has obviously not done much past graduation. I'm not one to sit around and dwell on my glory days, maybe because high school weren't my glory days. I went. I tried to blend in without causing too much attention to myself. I got high a lot. I got screwed over some because my parents weren't on the PTA and/or I wasn't a jock. Senior high was pretty neutral as far as my memories, but junior high was an all-around shitty experience. I much more enjoy the throws of young adulthood. Sure, I have way much more responsibility, but I'm judged much more on my merit, rather than what sports I play. Going back to Tom's story, I remember seeing one of the hotshot football players a year or so after graduation. I remember he said that he "went to college, but it wasn't for him." That was really just a euphemism saying that they didn't give a shit if he were a smalltown football hero. He actually had to make it on his merit.

[lonewolf]

So, shoud tax dollars pay for music/humanities education or not?

Yes, as long as its the correct tax dollars. The correct government for the promotion of the arts in education is the local school district. It is up to the citizens of the school district to step up and pound the podium.

Federal tax dollars? A resounding NO! Why?

1. Its not Constitutional. You won't find the word EDUCATION anywhere in the Constitution. You will find "Useful Arts" listed in Article I, Section 1:

"To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;"

We are talking about Mt. Rushmore and the Lincoln Memorial here folks, not a new bureaucracy. "For limited times" does NOT imply an annual budget.

If a pesky little thing like unconstitutionality doesn't matter to ya, then consider that:

2. Art, Music and Education are far too important to be left to the tender mercies of Washington DC. Most entrenched DC bureaucrats are only interested in feathering their nests and couldn't find their ass with their hands in their back pockets. You don't get federal tax dollars unless you comply with a set of goofy federal mandates to go along with them. Most federal social programs are inefficient and portray a particular point of view that may not resonate with most of people. For example:

Sometime in the 90s, somebody decided that education was a major issue for the federal government. Suddenly, all the national politicians started promising this education program and that education program to secure the soccer mom vote. The program that finally bubbled to the top of the swamp was the "No Child Left Behind" program. I am not that familiar with the details of that program, but I have heard nothing but whining about it since it came out.

Hey! You (the voters) asked for a federal education program and you got it. Are you cured of Federal Fever yet?

[grimmbass]

I never said "federal," and as a tax payer, I'm well aware that schools are funded via local taxes. Nationwide, arts programs are being cut, at the discretion of local school boards and administrations.

So other Right Wing Rock Pagers...should our LOCAL tax dollars pay for arts/humanities education?

[getclosertothemusic]

So other Right Wing Rock Pagers...should our LOCAL tax dollars pay for arts/humanities education?

Hey Kent,
Thanks for help getting people talking about this subject, the more we talk the more people will get the hint ""Just Maybe" we should get involved and do something"

As far as you asking should local tax dollars pay for arts/humanities?
Absolutely....our taxes help pay for every other football, baseball, basketball, wrestling, grils basketball, grils softball, track/cross country,
all the after school activities and the list goes on...Why Not???
Music programs...How many facts does anyone need, its all documented in black and white.
The huge benefits of music and music education...
I wonder sometimes if some of the politicians would have had music in there lives that the decision making might actually may make sense
and be resonable....
Getting off this subject....

jangle had an excellent quote from that German Doctor:

He said I know as a father you are looking for an athelete a football player etc. But how many sports people have changed the course of history. And he was right. Music lasts a lifetime.....sports is but a short blip in life. And in sports like history it repeats itself ( by the same people repeating their sport stories over & over). Playing music you have fresh stories weekly![/b]

Tell your children I want you to be someone...

Sports might be a career for the fortunate,
with music you have the power to change the course of history..........

[plumcrazy]

So, shoud tax dollars pay for music/humanities education or not?

ABSOLUTELY!!

I can't imagine that tax payers wouldn't want their tax dollars to go for something that is going to benefit their children's future. Music can also benefit the present. Their childs test scores will improve, their brain activity will increase, their social skills will improve - coordination and creativity will increase (just to name a few).

I being a parent would definitely want my tax dollars going towards music/humanities education!!!

As I see it, Music is a win-win situation for everyone, no matter what age.

[RobTheDrummer]

I would rather see tax money going to education than corrupt polititians.

[FretBored]

"Hummm!!! Interesting My Dear Watson"

AGUNA BEACH, Calif. -- Gordon Shaw, the physicist whose research on classical music's effect on the brain produced an often-quoted study that showed listening to Mozart raises a person's IQ, has died. He was 72.

Mr. Shaw died of kidney cancer Tuesday at his home, according to his family. He gained national attention in 1993 when he reported that a group of college students who listened to Mozart's "Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major" saw their IQs increase substantially, if only temporarily.

The University of California at Irvine researcher never cared for the media attention his work generated, however, complaining that headlines like "Mozart's Music Makes You Smarter" oversimplified his studies.

"It is not that the Mozart will make you permanently smarter," Mr. Shaw told the Los Angeles Times in 1993. Hearing such music, he speculated, might only provide "a warmup exercise" for parts of the brain that perform high levels of abstract thinking.

[MeYatch]

just to play devil's advocate here, I'm sure a very similar list could be compiled of benefits of playing sports, team sports in particular.

I played in the band in high school, because that's where my interests lie. My brother plays football. Its his choice, and I would never trivialize it, in actuality, he is far better at football than I ever was at music in high school.

I agree that sports recieve a disproportionate amount of attention and funding, but the blame can be placed on individual citizens as much as on anyone.

My highschool built a new football field a couple years ago. I'm sure it cost tons of money, but most of the funding came from donations. Most of the labor was donated too. The locals get way more excited about seeing the football team play on a new field, than seeing the concert band get a set of tympanies (which my concert band actually had).

Musical equipment is expensive, and X amount of dollars to buy the football team new uniforms isn't going to outfit the whole band with new instruments.

Of course I agree that taxpayer dollars should benefit the arts, but I wouldn't say at the expensive of sports and other school programs.

[moxham123]

I agree that physical sports programs and working as a team, learning discipline, learning plays and rules, and all the things that go into being an athlete are great teaching tools as much other school activities. However, each sports team has multiple opportunities to showcase their students' talents throughout the year. The football, basketball, volleyball, etc. teams all play many games during their respective seasons for people to come watch and support them. The musicians, artists, actors, etc. only get a couple times a year to have concerts, exhibits, plays, etc. and do not get the same support. Wouldn't it be nice for these students to be able to perform as many times a year an equal amount of times as some of the sports teams play games? Even school dances do not have live musicians anymore and could at least have students play for some of them.

[MeYatch]

when I was in the marching band we played at every football game.

I'm not sure how many times the concert band played, maybe 4 or 5 times a year. But people aren't going to come hear the same music all the time. We played different music at every concert, so we spent a lot of time learning new material.

[Banned]

Music education should be every bit as important as any other subject. I do agree with Lonewolf and others that the Federal governemnt should get out of running our local schools.

Hey, easy on the jocks. One can be a jock and a music lover at the same time.

And local school music departments should start realizing that the kis that are in the school band are not the only musicians in the school. My son and his friends are awsome musicians, but they are not allowed to use the school instruments during lunch time because they do not take music or are in the band. Someone should point out that rock and roll played on guitar and bass and drums is music and should be encouraged, even if they are not part of the school band.

[FretBored]

If you have children it is your responsibility to teach them what they need to know. Leaving it up to the government or the schools is a joke. It's easy to point fingers but I think we need to look inside our homes and ourselves for answers. If you have children and think music is important then do something about it, Yourself! I was a teacher of an art for over 15 years and beleived in the arts so much that I didn't even charge my students half the time. Lots of parents just sit on the sidelines(so to speak) and never get involved with their childrens artistic needs. GET OFF THE BENCH AND DO SOMETHING!