Music in Schools

Paper Summary:

This paper argues that participation in music classes and other music activities helps students find success in junior high and high school, as well as boosting brain activity and the development of intelligence. It states that students who study music are more productive members of society, and they will achieve higher personal success than those who did not participate in music studies. The writer argues that narrow-visioned school administrators, school board members, and politicians do not often enough recognize the vital role that music classes and programs play in the health, happiness, and success of all students. Strained budgets and attempts to focus on education "basics" have minimized or cut out music programs in many schools, and students who do not have access to music education are at a serious disadvantage for the rest of their educational career and in their life beyond high school. The writer concludes that it is vital that music education be incorporated into the overall curriculum of every junior high and high school for the benefit of the children and the future of our society.

From the Paper:

"The quality of education for American students is a major concern for parents, educators, and politicians. New initiatives such as the No Child Left Behind act have been put into place by the Bush administration in an attempt to satiate the nation's desire to believe children will come away from school with the experience and knowledge they will need to be successful in life and to improve the world. Unfortunately, policies such as this do not actually take the full needs of students into account. In fact, putting a high priority on standardized test scores has deprived many schools of the ability to provide a well-rounded and in-depth education because all resources such as time and money must go towards curriculum that matches the superficial content of these tests. Even though music is designated as a core academic subject by the No Child Left Behind Act, many schools are still forced to cut "nonessential" programs that do not contribute to raising standardized test scores; the arts are among the first programs cut in most strained districts. This creates a void in children's education, because the arts are just as important as reading, writing, history, and math to the development of healthy, critical-thinking, capable students. Music programs are especially vital to student education, yet many Junior High and High Schools are minimizing the availability of music classes. According to the philosopher Socrates, "Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul, on which they mightily fasten, imparting grace, and making the soul of him who is rightly educated graceful, or of him who is ill-educated ungraceful." (Plato) Music classes are an essential part of the educational experience because of they help children become successful in school, in society, and in life."

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