Music Stimulates Learning in K-12 Students
Music programs are one of the first to be removed from a public school system due to financial cuts. The benefits of music in schools, however, are critical to the development of K-12 children. Long have music programs been a topic of debate for the K-12 system as one side says it is not part of the core subjects, and the other side says it is fundamental to the intellectual development of our children.
As education guru Sir Ken Robinson puts in his TED video, “Do schools kill creativity?” if every school focuses on mathematics and language, why then, do schools not focus on dance? Is it that physical movement, and music, are not as crucial a part to our lives? Could it not be used as a wonderful substitute for the physical education aspects of education many children loathe? Will we write our children off as having Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder because they want to move their bodies?
The Los Angeles Examiner describes it as something that "...can lift our spirits and it can make us sing for joy. It can rock the ages and move the masses. Yes, music touches us all in some special way and its effects in the classroom are no less grand.” Students in the classroom benefit from music by:
- • Mastering memorization
- • Applying language and mathematical concepts from reading music to their core subject areas
- • Increase interest in school for students that have lost interest
- • Help students build social circles
Students grasp music through band, orchestra, choir, dance, cheerleading, and other similar extracurricular activities that a roller-coaster economy considers throwing on the chopping block.
Music programs at schools often offer instructors, classroom facilities, community performances, and instruments to students interested in music. For schools that are struggling, parents that are willing to rent or purchase instruments for their children or aid in a community performance can be a tremendous help for the school system. This assures that music is provided to both your children and to future generations of young, learning minds.
When looking at school options for your child, ask this question: “What music programs do you have to offer my child if they are a student at your school?