The Benefits of the Study of Music
WHY WE NEED MUSIC EDUCATION IN OUR SCHOOLS . |
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“The Value and Quality of Arts Education: A Statement of Principles,” a document from the nation’s most important educational organizations, including the American Association of School Administrators, the National Education Association, the National Parent Teacher Association, and the National School Boards Association (MENC – The National Association for Music Education) |
Success in Society
Perhaps the basic reason that every child must have an education
in music is that music is a part of the fabric of our society. The intrinsic value of music for each
individual is widely recognized in the many cultures that make up American life - indeed, every human culture
uses music to carry forward its ideas
and ideals. The importance of music
to our economy is without doubt. And
the value of music in shaping individual
abilities and character are evident. |
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pre-lesson IQ score, more than the IQ of those students taking drama or no lessons. Children with music training had significantly better verbal memory than those without
such training, and the longer the training,
the better the verbal memory. A 2004 Stanford University study showed that mastering a musical instrument improves the way the human brain processes parts of spoken language.Young children who take music lessons show different brain development and improved memory over the course of a
year, compared to children who do not
receive musical training.
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Success in School and Learning Success in society, of course, is predicated
on success in school. Any music
teacher
or parent of a music student can call to mind anecdotes about effectiveness of music study in helping
children become better students. Skills learned through the discipline of music, these stories commonly point out,transfer to study skills, communication
skills, and cognitive skills useful in every
part of the curriculum. Another common variety of story emphasizes the way that the discipline of music study
-particularly through participation in ensembles - helps students
learn to work effectively in the school environment. |
Success in Life
Each of us wants our children - andthe children of all those around us - to achieve success in school, success
in employment, and success in the
social structures through which wemove. But we also want our children
to experience “success” on a broader scale. Participation in music, often as not based on grounding in music education during the formative school years, brings countless benefits to each individual throughout life. The benefits may be psychological
or spiritual, and they may be physical as well. To put it simply, we need to keep the arts in education because they instill in students the habits of mind that last a lifetime: critical
analysis skills, the ability to deal with ambiguity and to solve problems, perseverance and a drive for excellence. |
Success in Developing Intelligence
Success in school and in society depends on an array of abilities. Results of an IQ test given to groups of children (total: 144) who were provided with lessons in keyboard, voice, drama or no lessons at all, showed that the IQ of students
in the keyboard or voice classes increased from their |
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