THE RECORD STUDIO    

A PHILOSOPHY ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE

Music is basic; it fulfills emotional, psychological and aesthetic needs in people that no other form of human endeavor satisfies.  The question we as music teachers often hear is not "Why music?", but "Why music education?".  

The answer must come not from philosophic treatises on the aesthetic role of music, but from evidence that school music offers something unique, something that no other institution in society offers.  Will the student who engages in school music activities acquire ways of interacting with his environment that out-of-school experiences do not provide?  Does the child who is involved with music and the other arts during the important early school years acquire something that adds a dimension to his life other school experiences neglect?  

The answer to these questions is an overwhelming yes.  Evidence is mounting to which we can point without apology.  The arts in schools are important to the student's total growth, as evidenced by the points below.  

I.    BUILDING BASIC SKILLS  

      A.    Reading and Communication  

• Music is an activity that requires students to read at a given rate of speed in order to participate in a highly motivated activity.
• It is a program that demands students pronounce vowels and consonants in a uniform and correct pattern. 
•  It cultivates vocal pitch flexibility, which enlarges the students capacity for expressive speaking.

      B.    Mathematics  

•  It is one of the few subjects that require students to develop the conceptual skills necessary to deal with number systems structured on bases other than ten. 
• It develops sophisticated skills in determining relative numerical relationships and fractional concepts represented in rhythmical problems.  
• Music is second only to mathematics in developing skills dealing with abstract symbolisms, such as those required for computer programming. 

II.    MORAL AND ETHICAL VALUES EDUCATION  

• Choral literature is probably the largest single source of inspirational poetry in the public schools, acquainting students with the highest purposes and dreams of mankind.  
• Music is one of the few activities in the school setting that requires self-discipline and self-sacrifice in order to accomplish a greater good by a group than may be accomplished by an individual (a possible exception is athletics, but athletics carries a dimension of competing for "first place" which minimizes the cooperative dimension to a much smaller number).  

III.   SELF-IMAGE AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT  

• Music provides an opportunity for many students to develop a sense of personal accomplishment and worth that transfers to other school endeavors in attitude and confidence. 
• Music is a program that provides students with a continued exposure to the same teacher, thus providing greater familiarity and more intimate relationships for better counseling and guidance. 

IV.   RELEVANCE AND REAL LIFE EXPOSURE  

• Music deals with the "now" of living by developing skills that are usable immediately and by involving subject matter of the current youth culture in learning experiences.  
• Music programs take students into the "real world" of the community through performances at social clubs and events.  
• Music concerts bring more parents into the school setting than any other programs in most schools.  

V.    PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH  

• Music requires deep and proper breathing for acceptable tone production, thus minimizing the danger of respiratory diseases.  
• Music refines a sense of rhythm, which has been proven to be of great significance in the development of muscular coordination. 
• Music refines the integrative activities of eye, ear and physical dexterity in the complex activity of reading and performing music simultaneously.

VI.  REFINING BASIC SENSE PERCEPTIONS  

• Music requires critical listening for pitch variations and rhythmic durations which refines and sharpens the listening skills.  
• Music cultivates critical and comprehensive viewing, both longitudinal and in breadth of eye span through the challenge of reading both words and musical symbols simultaneously. 

Music education is a crucial part of a person's life.  Civilizations since the time of the Greeks have understood that artistic education can have an ennobling effect upon children.  Experiences of poetry, music, dance, theater, and visual arts not only bring joy to children, but also stir and energize their minds with examples of beauty and accomplishment.  

Our society reflects that theater, visual art, music and dance have a profound effect for motivating students.  One of the most pervasive ways the arts can affect learning is by creating a positive learning environment.  Consequently, students perceive school as a more desirable place when the arts are an integral part of learning.  Using the arts, teachers can reach children that have otherwise been labeled as slow learners or having behavioral problems.  

Music is an important part of the school system as an aid in achieving basic skills, encouraging positive self-esteem and enriching life with its aesthetic experience.  It is an activity that requires students to read at a given rate of speed in order to participate in a highly motivated activity.  A chorus, in the absence of diction, is a program that demands students pronounce vowels and consonants in a uniform and correct pattern in order to achieve a high sense of regard for the literature the students are singing.  Music refines vocal pitch flexibility, which enlarges the students capacity for expressive speaking.  It provides many students with the opportunity to develop a sense of personal accomplishment and classroom success that transfers to other school endeavors.  Choral literature is probably the largest single source of inspirational poetry in the public schools, acquainting students with the highest dreams of the human race.  

Above all, music provides a person with a chance to experience something beautiful.  To the child that rarely sees beauty, music can be intoxicating.  There is nothing to compare to the musical thrill that is experienced when listening to, understanding and participating in a wonderful piece of music.  This thrill extends beyond the individual and helps that person create a more peaceable world.  Every human being deserves to experience the disciplined and beautiful world of music because of the life-enriching qualities it offers. 

-Kaarin Record Leach