Music is a part of
everyday life, there is almost no avoiding it, but why would you want to? Music
is a rare kind of art that has something for everyone. It can conjure emotions,
dreams, memories, ideas, the power is endless. So why then, is it seen as something
disposable?
In my town, change
is resonating through the entire school district and I know for certain that
this change is not positive. These changes can and will have a negative
impact on not only the students currently enrolled, but for future students as
well. Focus on individual performance on standardized tests as a reflection as
not only the student but the school as well has become commonplace. So much so
that upon losing some funds because of a failed tax hike proposed for the town,
it has been decided by some higher power that the music program will be cut,
effective the spring semester.
The music program
and its band and chorus classes represented a community that I related the most
to, where all of my fondest memories of high school lie. It represents an
outlet and oasis where the constraints of traditional academics and their
obsession with exams and assessments are lifted, if only for a while. For many
students, the musical community was a fantastic example of the undo effect at
work. It allowed for the flow of more positive emotions that would help “’undo’
some of the physical effects of stress” that high school students face
regularly in their classes as Capitalist America begins to place more and more
pressure on students to succeed and stand out. Succeed and stand out, but only
in the way it saw fit.
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| A comic made by cartoonist Tom Batiuk for Music Education Week. Taken from: http://musiced.nafme.org/news/cartoonist-and-music-education-friend-tom-batiuk-heads-to-washington-for-music-education-week/ |
Music is where
people can feel their happiest, experiencing serenity, joy, pride, inspiration,
love, and many more positive emotions that can be evoked by listening to music
and helping to create it. But with this program cut, what will be there to
replace these emotions? More strictly academic classes to add on to an ever
increasing workload of course.
Is this what society thinks students need to succeed? No one has ever been happy while constrained and the lack of emphasis on the arts and more emphasis on tests and strict academics is supplying the chains. How many students have ever said, when asked how they like school: “school is boring” or maybe something along the lines of “my favorite subject is lunch”? The answer is simply put: all of them. But the music classes provide the break from the math, the science, the history, and English classes in these students’ schedules. But the brain is not at rest when playing music. In fact: “Music enhances the process of learning. The systems they nourish, which include our integrated sensory, attention, cognitive, emotional and motor capacities, are shown to be the driving forces behind all other learning”[1]. The proof of this is in the student musicians themselves. They are the ones more likely to be getting the high scores on tests that schools love to see because, unlike other students, their brains are getting an extra work out. “Research shows that music is to the brain as physical exercise is to the human body. Music tones the brain for auditory fitness and allows it to decipher between tone and pitch”[2].
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| Taken from: http://www.nasdschools.org/webpages/music/ |
So why then, does
music always seem to be the first program to go, despite the facts and
statistics that show its presence can only help schools achieve the test scores
they are looking for? It is not mandated by the state government to have music
classes so it is technically more disposable than the required gym and health
classes required. Secondly, it can be an expensive program to keep. Teachers
need money to repair instruments, purchase new ones, purchase new music, among
other expenses. But looking at the big picture, how much money goes to sports
teams that could be going to help fund music programs. Now, I am not saying
that music should be held at a higher importance than sport programs, because
both serve important purposes to the students involved as well as the community
it is a part of. But I cannot help to see that sports will almost always be
held at a higher importance than music. This idea that there are the “band
geeks” and the more popular “jocks” is a stereotype that has been a part of the
American culture, as it seems physical dominance will always be seen as an
advantage over talent playing a musical instrument or being able to sing in a
choir.
The first step to change is to
recognize this imbalance and stop it. Especially in a day and age where some of
the kids considered “jocks” are becoming involved in music, there is no place
for this unfairness. Support by organizations like NAFME (National Association
for Music Education) has kept these programs alive in many locations and from
time to time new life will be breathed into dying programs, but it does not
happen near enough. Campaigns need to be organized to show people the
importance of music, to get more people involved in the program. Not only does music help grades and test
scores, but it provides a strong and supportive community for anyone who
belongs into it. Music does not discriminate and anyone who wishes to take part
in it can and should. Not only should schools be sure to keep the music
education programs in schools, but should require participation in it. If
students are required to take a gym class to work out their bodies, why
shouldn’t they be required to work out their brains? Students are told to try
and attend sports games to support their school, so why not attend concerts to
support their school too? We can stop these music programs from disappearing,
we have a voice. Through campaigning, fundraising, and hosting concerts, the importance of music
can be shown to everyone, with the goal of everyone, no matter who they are,
walking away thinking “hey, those band geeks are alright,” because after all,
music is the universal language.
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| Taken from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/lorikozlowski/2012/11/15/the-musicians-os-tech-for-music-education/ |
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