I decided that I needed to write at least one blog on why we should keep music in the public schools. In our current economic difficulties schools are having to cut classes that are not the "core" subjects and music is always the first to go. There are many statistics on how students who take music classes score higher on their tests and do better in school. I would like to add some of my own reasons on why I think it is important for students to learn music.
Our schools all over the country have an increasing amount of multicultural students. The music classroom can be a place where those ethnic barriers are broken down and everyone is accepted. It doesn't matter whether you're in Choir, Band, or Orchestra, everyone works together as a team to create beautiful music.
There are many essential skills that kids learn from studying music like teamwork, cooperation, hard work, self-discipline, and creativity, to name a few. There are very few subjects where the students are allowed to think creatively and get out of their shells. Performing also boosts their self-confidence. Playing music gives them something they can be proud of.
There is so much more I can add but I will just end with saying that music helps us become more well-rounded people, enhances our quality of life, and enriches our society. The world would be a depressing place without music. It has been proven children who study music do better in school. In addition, music makes us better individuals and should be supported and kept in our public schools.
I think this posting relates perfectly to what we talked about today in relation to learning and identity. The benefits of elective courses (music, agriculture, engineering, FACS) are that these courses are designed for students to have a discipline that relates directly to their interests and possibly to their life trajectories.
ReplyDeleteFor example, students HAVE to take math, but they may not see it as relating to their interests, whereas students WANT to take music because they see it as a discipline that relates to them. I definitely think that schools should protect these elective disciplines as an important place where students can essentially spend a whole year on a topic they enjoy.