My Philosophy
"A Teacher Affects Eternity. He Can Never Tell Where His Influence Stops."
~ Henry B. Adams ~
Music is a part of every day life and it reaches everyone in different ways. Not only is music still important today, but it has always been a significant aspect of life. Historically, music has been an essential part to living in every world culture. For example, the ancient Greeks believed that music had power over people and their emotions. Music has always been present, even when there was no recorded music. Live performance was the only available source and it was vital to communication and life. Music is just as paramount in today’s world.
Music should be a part of every child’s curriculum for innumerable reasons. First of all, music provides a unique aesthetic experience, such as performing in large ensembles and using all of you senses to be musical as an individual and as an ensemble member. Being a part of something on a much larger scale than the individual can be a special thing for people. Additionally, music education helps music students to grow as people. A steady practice regiment, instrument maintenance, and arriving prepared to rehearsals and lessons can be a responsibility challenge and a growing experience for all. Music is also a great way for students to explore their innate musical aptitude that everyone possesses, as discussed by Howard Gardner. This is not just in performing on an instrument or singing, but through composing, improvising, or developing ear training as well.
Furthermore, music education can help foster a knowledge of history and world cultures. Most music cannot be fully examined or explained without its cultural and/or historical significance. From a scientific perspective, musicians tend to have a larger than normal (by 10-15%) corpos callosum. This is the single connection between the two hemispheres of the brain and allows them to coordinate. Tests have also shown that music can also help students to have greater success in other academic subjects and stay out of trouble. Finally, music is a part of the daily experience for all. One of the foundations of education is to help students grow and interact with the world around them, naturally music must be included.
Students should be able to perform, listen and respond to music intelligently, and also create music in some capacity - composing or improvising. Students should be able to sing or play an instrument on their own or in an ensemble with a variety of musical genres so that they may experience music first hand and not always be an audience. Students also need to be exposed to and understand lots of music so that they can decide intelligently what they like and respond to what they are listening. Lastly, students must be able to create music in some capacity, whether it is improvising simple melodies and rhythms or creating a vocal score. Students need to experience music and the earlier they can start, the better.
In summation, music education is paramount for all students. Music has and will always be an integral part of the world around us all. Students should be able to understand the music that influences them and those in their lives. Music education can yield well rounded students and provide them with a unique aesthetic experience that nothing else can.
Music Education Links:
Music Educators National Conference
The National Standards for Music Education
Music and the Mind, by Dee Dickinson: An article about musicians and academic achievement
A Study on Standardized Tests: A comparison study from scores of music and non-music students