Reflection Post Week 3 - Making a Case for Music Education

The study of music in the schools (at all levels) can have a huge impact on the lives of students.  In addition to a better understanding of performance, pedagogy, musical terminology, and expression, there are many non-musical benefits to music study in the schools.  For my rationale, I went right to the "top," The National Association for Music Education.  The NAfME supports music in all schools at all levels.  They indicate four significant non-musical benefits for including music in the schools.

1.  Creativity - in addition to musical creativity, the creative skills learned in the music classroom allow students to think "outside the box" as they solve problems in other areas of study, as well as in their daily lives.  Music study supports imagination and appreciation for the world around us.  I would even venture to add curiosity to the post on creativity.

2.   Communication - Music is a universal language.  The performance and study of music allows students to find new ways to communicate their joys, fears, triumphs, and failures.  Many students, after studying and/or performing music, find it easier to express themselves in their everyday life.

3.  Critical Assessment - Music utilizes many different parts of the brain, such as the cognitive and affective sides.  Because music stimulates multiple parts of the brain, it becomes easier for students to use them in other disciplines.

4.  Commitment - Musicians are constantly on deadlines.  They have upcoming concerts, rehearsals, recitals, etc.  Performing music requires a tremendous amount of commitment.  Students must live up to their commitments in order to be successful musicians.  This will teach them the importance of honoring their commitments outside the music room.

I am having a hard time finding rationale or resources stating that music education is not essential in music classrooms.  I will attempt to provide four reasons and some rationale that could be argued if this debate were to be sparked.


1.  Music classes take time away from other academic courses - When students take an abundance of music classes, they do not have room in their schedules for more rigorous academic courses, such as advanced math or science classes.  Research has shown that students who take the minimum graduation requirements in math are not prepared for collegiate mathematics.  (ACT National Curriculum study, 2009)

2.  Music classes are expensive - It takes a lot of money to supply a band or orchestra with all of the music, instruments, uniforms, and travel needed to be successful.  With school budgets declining everywhere, it seems that money budgeted for music might be better spent on technology or remediation materials for a larger portion of the school population.

3.  Not all music teachers are effective - The positive aspects of music education are only achieved if the music teacher in the classroom is efficient and effective.  Too often, music teachers are not providing an educational experience that creates the positive non-musical outcomes (or musical outcomes for that matter) that are used to defend music in the schools.

4.  Not all students are interested in music - Because not every student in the school is interested in music, and there are other ways for students to receive their required fine arts credit graduation requirement, music class seems like a misappropriation of resources.  Without the music teacher on campus, it is possible to hire another remedial reading or math teacher to help students who are struggling to meet the requirements of the standardized tests set forth by the state (FCAT in Florida).