Music a "Must" For Public Schools and Community Programs!
This Fall a new round of discussions will start in PTO's and School Boards regarding 'core curriculum' subjects and subjects classified as 'electives' - prompted by the possible cuts in Federal and State funds for Art and Music.
According to the College Entrance Examination Board, students who participate in the arts score nearly 100 points higher on the SAT than students who don't. In addition, the more years students participate in the arts, the higher their average SAT score climbs (*Arts Contact USA Vol. VI., Issue I, Winter '98) In light of this, it’s time to re-evaluate the role of music in the public school curriculum.
In 1993 psychologist, Dr. Frances Rauscher and Physicist, Dr. Gordon Shaw published the results of their studies showing that children exposed to ten minutes of Mozart's Sonata in D Major scored 8 or 9 points higher on a spatial-temporal test than when they had 10 minutes of silence or relaxation tapes. In "The Mozart Effect" their studies also indicated that studying music was even more effective in increasing a child's academic skills than merely listening to music. (F.Y.I.: Exposure to heavy metal rock music produced negative results!)
It has become clear to many educators that the same skills necessary to learn music also increase one's capacity for learning anything else.In our muisic school's "Music Mites" classes we work with toddlers, pre-schoolers and first and second graders. The attentiveness of youngsters participating in music songs, games, dances and playing instruments is marvelous to behold. The additional benefit is the closer connection that develops with their participating parents. We often have children who by 5 can comprehend single and multi -tiered musical patterns. Recognizing patterns in language or math draws from the same thinking skills.
Think about what actually happens when children (or anyone) is making music. They
must listen, concentrate, focus, analyze, differentiate, repeat sound patterns orally or instrumentally, recognize abstract symbols that represent musical concepts and reproduce them. Are these not the same skills that help children to overcome attention deficits and mental haziness ? When playing music in a group does it not require as much listening, co-ordination and teamwork as playing sports ? Can't diversity issues be overcome by making music 'in harmony' with one another?
PUBLIC SCHOOL MUSIC VERSUS PRIVATE MUSIC INSTRUCTION
The Public Schools serve a vital function by providing children with choral and instrumental activities. Some of these children may not have opportunities for this outside of school. Private Music instruction further develops the skills of the child needing more advanced and thorough musical training or the child needing more individual instruction in order to 'catch up' to the level necessary to be in the school band, musical, orchestra, etc. The more children are exposed to music in the public or private schools the better it is for everyone because those children are more likely to succeed in life. Perhaps Music should be a mandatory part of each child's education?
For further information read:
Music Learning Theory by Dr. Edwin Gordon, Temple University
The Growth of the Mind by Stanley Greenspan, M.D.
Failure to Connect -by Jane Healy
The Mozart Effect by Dr. Frances Rauscher and Dr. Gordon Shaw
By Wendy Hollenbach Hellyer, B.A., M.A. (Voice & Music) Esther Boyer College of Music, Temple University