I was one of the students who could not wait to leave high school after I graduated, who saw college as an opportunity to do and become all of the things that the limits of high school had never allowed for me. In my mind, there was nothing about high school (excusing a few friends and teachers) that I would miss upon leaving. In most ways this was true; however, high school turned out to have one opportunity that would become completely devoid of my college experience, which I turned out to miss more than I had anticipated— music.

In 2016, there is no excuse for a university, especially a liberal arts university, to lack a music department of some kind in which its students can partake. Music provides more than just a hobby to students, and it is worth the time and effort of the administration to recognize this and act accordingly when creating departments and clubs for students. The benefits students receive from music are no secret in the modern age, with countless studies pointing to the increased brain functioning, increased vocabulary, lowest use of illicit drugs, increased team building skills, and increased critical thinking skills of students who are allowed to participate in music programs. Additionally, schools with musical programs have an increased attendance rate, with an average of 93.3% attendance compared to the average 89.4% of schools which lack music departments, not to mention an increased average graduation rate of 90.2% in comparison to the average 72.9% of music lacking schools.

But there is more to the benefits of music than can just be recorded on a survey. As someone who has played music from my early childhood, I can hardly begin to recount to you how it has helped me to surmount the issues of my childhood and adolescence. The connections which musicians build with music are somethings which they should be able to continue to develop throughout their higher education through programs such as concert band, pep band, jazz band, choirs, and personal lessons which help them to learn new instruments or to increase their skills on ones with which they are already familiar. Additionally, the camaraderie felt among students who are allowed to learn and play music together is something which should not be underestimated, and which is what allows for many young people to form some of the strongest and most stable bonds throughout their lifetime. Denying college age students that same feeling of acceptance and the connection of common passion which music education provides not only puts these students at a disadvantage, but causes them to feel as though their passions are viewed as less important by an institution that allows for other students to exercise their love of sports and theater, but provides no opportunities for music.

A music department is the ideal place for musically inclined students to exercise their passions for music, even if the department must start small. Just allowing students the opportunity to be involved in concert band and concert choir opens up the doors for smaller bands and choirs such as pep, jazz, a capella, rock, and many other genres, to form as clubs for students to start and develop. However, in cases where an entire department is simply unobtainable, universities should at the very least help to ensure that clubs for music students are well managed and available. The absence of a music department is a flaw on educational institutions, and work should be done on the part of both students and administration to ensure that departments, clubs, and activities which take advantage of the talents of musically inclined students are offered. Such programs are to the benefit of both the students who will actively partake in them, and also the members of the university community who now have the opportunity to benefit from and enjoy the effects of these programs on their campus.