Whether your child may be the next John Lennon or the next Carole King, or maybe even more likely to debut his or her solo in the comfort of their own shower, they are bound to gain some sort of benefit through music education. Research has found that the learning and comprehension of music facilitates the comprehension of core subjects in school and hones in on the enhancement of skills that children use in other aspects of life.
Music has been around since 7000 BC and has been a major part in shaping culture since then. As time has passed and tides have changed, music has been proven to increase recall and retention of verbal skills, advance math achievements, boost reading and English skills, improve self-discipline, and even increase standardized test scores. Despite all of the benefits that come from academic achievement, music programs around the globe are being cut from the curriculum. Not only is this troubling in and of itself for students and teachers alike, it also raises fear that, potentially, all music programs could be obliterated in years to come.
Making music is comprised of more than just breathing from the diaphragm or fingers plucking and tapping the instrument; anyone learning music must tap into multiple skill sets, and often simultaneously. Music supports all skill sets, from your eyes, to small and large muscles alike. It was once said by Confucius that "Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do with out." Which brings attention to the question: why would anyone think to take away such a privilege to humanity?
Research indicates the brain of a musician, even a young beginner who can just barely reach the foot pedal beneath a piano, works differently and more efficiently than that of a non-musician. When individuals hear a song or a piece of music, the frontal and temporal lobes in the brain begin processing sounds, and beyond that, different brain cells can decipher rhythm and pitch and melody. If the song has lyrics, the Broca's and Wernicke's areas kick in to aid in the process of language. The brain of a musician is just as deliciously complex as the person connected to it.
It is absolutely essential to recognize that it's not about how smart music can make you. The electricity and the excitement and even the frustration that stems from the very core of music is what is going to enrich your appetite for things that bring you pure joy and for the people you'll meet. Smart will come later. Music gives you a better perspective of yourself. Your horizons become vast and your understanding, comprehension, and appreciation of the world becomes boundless.
If you are as passionate as keeping music alive in the school curriculum as I am, please feel free to utilize these petitions to save music programs around the country.
- https://www.change.org/p/superintendent-meria-carstarphen-and-atlanta-public-schools-board-members-protect-music-education-in-atlanta-public-schools
- https://www.change.org/p/dr-marcia-welsh-stop-these-drastic-senseless-cuts-to-music-faculty-programs-and-courses-and-keep-well-rounded-quality-education-alive-at-esu
- http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/fund-our-schools-so-we
