by Susanna Perkins

Created on: July 28, 2009   Last Updated: July 30, 2009

Education in the US is in trouble. Our students are not competing in the global marketplace, we are having to import engineers and other scientists, and basic literacy is not improving. A January, 2009 article in USA Today claims that one out of every seven adults in the US today is unable to read the story that reported these long-term study results.

In math and science, our students do not perform well. According to greatschools.net, a comparison of students from 57 countries showed Americans in the middle in science, at 17, and in the 24th spot in math, behind countries like Finland, Estonia, Poland, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada and Korea.

So our education budgets should focus on the basics, language, math and science and forget the "fluff" like music, right?

Wrong! Schools must maintain their music programs, both for the academic and the social benefits they provide.

Multiple studies have shown the positive correlation between listening to music and academic performance. Exposing a baby to music actually opens up new neural pathways in the brain, pathways that impact ability to analyze spatial relationships. Learning to play an instrument has a long-term effect on certain thinking skills. Music can help you put together jigsaw puzzles faster, get better grades in school, and do better on your SATs.

After listening to classical music, adults demonstrated better ability to put together jigsaw puzzles and students improved their puzzle ability by as much as 30% after six months of piano lessons.

While exposure to any kind of music causes improvements in spatial reasoning, classical music has the most impact. This is because music by composers like Mozart, Bach and Beethoven is more complex than popular music like rock, folk or country. Books have been written about the so-called Mozart Effect, documenting the effect of classical music on developing young brains.

Singing also helps brain development, and putting music and words together enhances the ability to remember the words. Alphabet song, anyone?

In addition to music's role in intellectual development and academic performance, school music programs are very important to healthy social development. Children who participate in school music programs are less likely to be involved with drugs or alcohol than their peers, and they get into less legal trouble as well.

Each of my five children was involved with music at school, either chorus, band, or orchestra. Their closest friends were fellow music students, and the band, chorus or orchestra members were the people they hung out with. Drug and alcohol involvement at their parties was nonexistent. Vandalism and petty crime were unknown. The band/chorus/orchestra kids, as a group, took more AP classes and were more active in extra-curricular activities than their non-music peers. I don't recall any girls getting pregnant.

Music education is the only school program which can improve our students' lives both academically and socially. It must be kept as part of school core curriculum.

Learn more about this author, Susanna Perkins.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.