MuSiC eDuCaTioN

Music education is an important part of every child's learning experience and is older than high schools sports, yet high school sports are increasing while music education may be soon demised.

Education, and particularly mandatory education, is an effective agent in the formation of an individual's tastes, preferences and value systems. Schools try to focus on the more important academic classes because of the high testing standards they must now meet.

However, music education is an important aspect of student growth and is not a luxury, but a necessity to all children. Music education is a broad-based discipline, using words and phrases from many areas of study, including psychology, sociology, physics, anatomy, philosophy, research, technology, and general education.

Music education is vital to a well-rounded education and is an investment of time, effort, and money, which can result in a lifetime of enjoying music. Music has the ability to facilitate language acquisition, reading readiness, and general intellectual development; to foster positive attitudes and to lower truancy in middle and high school; to enhance creativity; and to promote social development, personality adjustment, and self-worth.

Music also helps with math and science and also brings higher thinking to our children. Music and education have always gone hand in hand. Music influences all areas of our lives, and as each student masters the skills and discipline used in music he/she will also build greater confidence, poise, and sense of accomplishment that will pervade all aspects of life.

This education reinforces all other curricula by connecting concepts and processes to everyday life. Music, we say, provides so many benefits that are applicable to the more traditional academic subjects, that it is a basic.

Music study teaches the value of sustained effort and it's positive impact on learning is becoming well known, and one of the groups trumpeting that message is NAMM, the International Music Products Association. NAMM can help provide support for your school's music cirriculum.

Music Education is vital to a well-rounded education. It develps the intellect and music education has long been anecdotally linked to increased intellectual ability. Students, particularly high-risk students, do well in arts education classes yet suffer when confined to learning through a more traditional curriculum.

Students learn to count, keep a steady rhythm, and how to multiply and divide (to figure out how long each note is). Students also use science to help them discover what sounds good together and what doesn't.

They also need science to understand something called the "overtone series," which Pythagorus came up with around Medieval times. Students learn to understand a little bit of Italian in order to interpret the markings in their music.

They also learn an incredible amount of coordination through music -- it isn't unlike being an athlete. Students that study the arts learn to think creatively. Learning to play an instrument may also keep children out of trouble by giving them something to do after school.

An opinion from an expert...