The case for Music

Image by wikipedia

Most know that I have been very involved with my kid's school band.  I have proudly headed up the band booster program for the last two years.  I have been the pied piper for logistical and financial needs of our band.  I've helped our school gain acceptance into a ground breaking A+ program for Arts.  This program will help our school incorporate art into every aspect of learning.  Their are many forms of art.  Art can be as simple as drawing, as beautiful as dancing, as tasty as food, and an emotional piece of  music.  So I wanted to take the time to show why music is so important in the process of learning.

High School students that study music have been shown in study after study to hold a higher GPA than non music students.  There is a reason for this.  Music is a lesson in math.  Every note is counted against a beat, therefore every note is a fraction.  Kids playing music are constantly doing math and figuring out fractions.  The College Entry Examination Board has reported that students with music training score 44 percent higher on Math than students with no Art training.  Kids are also getting a lesson in languages while learning music.  Many music terms are still in Latin such as crescendo, diminuendo, vivace, and many others.  They are learning root words that give them insight to some of the obscure vocabulary words their English Lit. teacher throws at them. In 1994 a study of 7,500 University students showed the music majors scored the highest reading levels of all majors including English, biology, and chemistry.  Studying music is also a study of  History. Music students learn about musical movements such as Renaissance, Medieval, and Contemporary that gives them a glimpse into the history of our world.  It's also a look at our own American History.  The transformation of Folk into Country and Blues into Rock n Roll is an insight to music kids that others miss out on.  History and Geography scores are usually 40 percent higher for kids studying music.  Playing music (as well as other group artistic activities) helps kids with their social skills.  Learning to be in sync with others in art teaches camaraderie and leads to 71 percent fewer disciplinary problems.

Image courtesy of wikimedia

The case for music in learning is astounding, but it also has benefits for the family.  Playing music brings feelings of joy and euphoria to the brain.  Kids that play music believe their music brings their families closer together.  Kids entering college, having played music, have less problems adjusting.  It has to do with having conquered performance anxiety.  The top academic countries in the world, such as Japan and the Netherlands place high emphasis on music education starting in elementary school.  So please, introduce your kids to music.  Lots of different types of music. Then plant the seed, that they can take lessons and play the music that stimulates their souls. Your kid will thank you in the long run and their test scores will reflect a positive return on your investment.  Now excuse me while I jam out before going to bed.


Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.
Plato