The man who was arguably the most intelligent who ever lived was reported to have once said, "If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music." His theories and his famous equation, e=mc2, revolutionized the way science had previously looked at light, energy, and time, transforming the study of quantum physics. That man was Albert Einstein. His relationship to music and his intellectual accomplishments are not simply coincidence.
Since the very beginning of human existence, music has been ingrained into the human brain as deeply as linguistic communication (Sacks, "Preface"). It always has been, and always will be, a source of comfort and entertainment, and a vessel of communication and expression. Whether a particular human being lived ten thousand years ago or is living in the present age, or whether he is an infant, adolescent, adult, or even elderly, music plays a crucial role in human cognitive development and reinforcement (Eddy). The development of cognitive skills is perhaps most crucial at the earlier stages of a person's development. Presently, exposing elementary-school age children to active participation in music has been shown to stimulate the development of several areas of the brain, and is considered by some to be just as essential to a child's education as reading or writing (Sacks, "Sense"). Regrettably, due to recent economic events, many schools have been forced to trim budgets, and all too often the first programs to lose funding or to be cut altogether are the choral, band, and orchestral programs. This decreased funding for music programs is detrimental to the quality of elementary education, in particular.
In 2007, $124.4 million of President Bush's $2.758 trillion budget request was reserved for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities got only slightly more with a total budget of $140.9 million. Collectively, the two programs' combined budget represents less than .01% of the 2007 budget. Put into perspective, if there were approximately 51 million children enrolled in America's school systems (Eddy), the amount of funding available for music and humanities education per child for the year of 2007 was $5.20. Needless to say, this kind of a lack of funding makes quality music education a near impossibility. As the cost of a single musical instrument can be anywhere from five-hundred to over five-thousand dollars, five dollars and twenty cents per student is hardly adequate to provide each band or orchestra student with an instrument. A study was done on the relationship between the existence and quality of music programs and state mandated standardized test scores over the course of the 2004-2005 school year in elementary schools across the United States representing many socioeconomic and geographical backgrounds. It was found that schools with deficient music programs actually produced test scores 35-40% worse in mathematics and English than schools with no music programs at all. However, schools with music programs rated as excellent had mathematics and English test scores an average of 80-90% higher than that of those with no music programs at all (Johnson). This dramatic relationship between music education and the success of students in more analytical educational subjects shows just how crucial music education is for success in the classroom.
Historically, music has long been recognized as an essential part of education. The ancient Greeks considered it necessary in the development of youths' morals. Aristotle also recognized music as an integral part of childhood education (Heimonen). The lessons learned by students in music class, however, carry over far beyond their classes in math and English. The National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras of Venezuela has touched the lives of thousands of Venezuelan children who otherwise may not have had an opportunity to learn how to play and instrument. "[I]n my area there are people who get into gang shoot-outs and drugs. Studying music helps keep you away from all that," explains twelve-year-old violinist Maria Urbina, who is a student of the program (O'Keeffe). Not only is music central in childhood education of knowledge, but in social health and moral standard as well.
The consequences of a nonexistent music program can be behavioral as well as directly academic. Music is a very creative form of expression. A music class offers a safe and acceptable place for children to foster that creativity. Because there is no right or wrong way to musically express creativity, it builds self-confidence in children. However, children whose creative expression is suppressed in the classroom due to a lack of a period of outlet, such as a music class, may feel "confined in noncreative classrooms and 'shut down' or rebel to protect there creative integrity," (qtd from Schirrmacher [pg 12]). Children who misbehave in an educational setting are distracting and even alarming for other students, and as a result depreciate the value of a child's education.
Many people believe that the downfalls of music education outweigh its benefits. English philosopher John Locke, for example, believed that music is a nonessential part of education for the simple reasons that he believed it was a waste of time and is associated with "odd" company (Heimonen). Alternately, there are many musicians who feel that teaching music purely to supplement academic test scores undermines the true purpose and intrinsic value of music as a subjectively valued art form, valued as many different things by each individual, and as such would be better respected as a privately-studied subject (Gee). Unfortunately, private musical instruction is not available for everyone, so for all of society to benefit, the public education system has a responsibility to ensure that each student has an opportunity to receive education in music, for the benefit of everyone.
Finally, a solid elementary educational foundation that includes education in music has a positive influence on children as they continue their education later in life. One study conducted by Cobb, Catterall, Chapleau, and Iwanaga suggest that students who have a background in music scored "significantly higher" on the ACT test. Music participation was also the "only activity shown to correlate significantly with academic progress," according to a study conducted by Miranda, Schneider, Trent, and Underwood (Johnson). Also, as maintained by the College Entrance Examination board, students who were involved in music scored an average of 93 points higher on their SATs than the average non-music student ("The Dropout"). Clearly, participation in music elementary music programs not only facilitates social, academic, and behavioral health as children, but it's benefits extend into the far reaches of secondary school and, perhaps, beyond.
Clearly elementary students can only benefit from such a well-rounded education which includes music as a core subject. Unfortunately, a lack of funds, support, and discipline obstructs the road to a valuable, well-rounded, sustaining elementary education. As elementary education is the foundation for all education beyond, its success and quality are imperative. In the edifice of education, if the foundation is weak, the entire structure will crumble. Music is perhaps an essential building material in this structure's foundation. When society decreases funding and support for elementary music programs, they are essentially decreasing support for the academic, moral, and social success of collective humanity. The consequences of such decreases, while initially may seem negligible, are not only grave for the future of society, but are also grave for humanity itself.
Sources:
Eddy, Junius. "The Upside Down Curriculum." Viewpoints - Historical Materials, US Dept. of Education. 1981. Alliance for Arts Education. St. Clair County Library Government documents.
Gee, Constance Bumgarner. "The 'use and abuse' of arts advocacy and consequences for music education." Arts Education Policy Review 103.4 (March-April 2002): 3(19).
Heimonen. Marja. "Nurturing towards wisdom: justifying music in the curriculum." Philosophy of Music Education Review 16.1 (Spring 2008): 61(18).
Johnson, Christopher M., and Jenny E. Mammott. "Examination of relationships between participation in school music programs of differing quality and standardized test results." Journal of Research in Music Education 54.4 (Winter 2006): 293(15).
O'Keeffe, Alice. "Scaling the heights: Venezuela's classical music programme for children has produced world-class artists such as the young conductor Gustavo Dudamel. It has also quietly transformed the social fabric of the country, finds Alice O'Keeffe. (Arts & Culture) (Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela)." New Statesman(1996) 136.4857 (August 13, 2007): 32(3).
Sacks, Oliver. "Preface." Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain. Copyright 2008.Vintage Books. (21 Mar. 2009)
Sacks, Oliver. "Sense and Sensibility: A Range of Musicality." Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain. Copyright 2008.Vintage Books. (21 Mar. 2009)
Schirrmacher, Robert. Art and Creative Development for Young Children Third Edition. Delmer Publishers. 1998. (21 Mar. 209).
"The Dropout Rate in Music Education, Says Warner Bros. Publications CEO, Is One Reason for Poorer Math and Science Scores; Introduces New K-12 Music Curriculum." PR Newswire (Oct 31, 2002): NYFNST0631102002.