Is Music Education Really THAT Important?

There are so many benefits of music education.  I think back on all of the amazing music teachers I’ve had who influenced my life in big ways. Each and every one of these teachers made a huge impact in my life.

Maybe you can think back to a similar story about why music education matters so much to you.  So, you know why music education is so important.  But, when others ask you about the benefits of music education, it can be hard to come up with answers on the spot.

 

Why music education is important

There are so many reasons why music education is important.

Think of a world without music.  Can you think about how boring and blah it would be?  Whole sporting events would be sat through without one song played over the loud speakers. Commercials, tv shows, and movies would all be filled with a bunch of talking. The radio would be filled with talk radio (gag me). Even the simplest sounds of a baby crying or a bird singing would be nonexistent because sound is a part of music.

Music is universal and is the only “language” that everyone all over the world, no matter what spoken language they use, can understand.  Music is everywhere and is all around us.  If we can’t imagine having no music in our lives, then why is it so easy to view music as just an “elective” or easy to say “well we need to cut something so music is it.”

It breaks my heart when I hear about music programs cut from schools or when kids quit taking lessons because it isn’t “cool” or it is “boring.”  It’s important others understand the value of music education, because it really matters so much.

 

Music is in every subject

One of my favorite posters to hang in the music classroom is:

Math

LangUage

HiStory

ReadIng

SCience

Music is in science (frequency of sound and modulation of notes), history (all around the world, music is different in each culture), math (changing time signatures and the way they are counted while keeping the beat), English (poems read with a steady beat), and foreign language (so many Classical musicians and pieces written in lots of different languages).

In the music classroom, I would teach a multiplication rap and would all of a sudden see the light bulb go off in some kids minds who were struggling.  Most of the time, I would start class off with a story that they had to either keep the steady beat to or do the motions from the book.  We would do a composer of the month and would talk about the countries on the map of where that particular person was from to form connections to social studies.  We would learn songs from other languages, and although it wasn’t always spoken accurately, the kids learned that music from around the world is influenced by the culture that those people are a part of.

People who have taken music lessons have better language and reasoning skills, increased coordination when learning a musical instrument, have a sense of achievement and accomplishment, are motivated to try harder at something they love, and are smarter in math and spatial skills.  A Stanford study showed that music uses parts of the brain where attention spans, predicting things, and keeping our memory sharp are involved.

 

Music helps us emotionally

Music helps us feel and helps us express ourselves.  How many times have you been sad or happy and turn on music to help improve your mood?

The same is true for kids.  They love learning music because it really helps them experience emotions they have never tapped into before.

Musical groups, ensembles, choirs, or learning an instrument give us a sense of accomplishment.  It helps us feel like we are a part of something bigger than ourselves and makes us want to strive for excellence.  I believe that quality music education is an absolute must!  If you have a desire to learn music, go for it!  There really is nothing to lose, but is everything to gain.

If you’re teaching music, don’t be afraid to help your student’s experience emotions through music.  Your students could be having a “no good, very bad day” and just coming to music class will help improve their mood instantly.

 

Three types of students

Let’s talk about the three types of students coming to a music class or music lesson.  No matter which one of these students you encounter, they will all reap the benefits of learning music.

First, I want to talk about the kids who aren’t musical or hate coming to music class.  Before throwing up your hands and thinking, “there is absolutely no way these students can benefit from music education”, let me stop you right now.  Every child, no matter their economic status, musical ability, or desire to learn an instrument can benefit from music education.

Secondly, there are the “I like learning music” students.  These are the kids who like coming to music class, but might only be coming because a parent enrolls them or it’s required at school.  They like coming to music class, and will follow instructions, yet aren’t necessarily wanting to pursue music as a career.

Thirdly, you’ll get the “music is the best thing since sliced bread” types of students.  These are the kids (like I was) who love going to any music class or private lesson and even as a child, know they want to continue pursuing music as a career when they grow up.

Types of music education

So, now that you have an idea of why music education is important, let’s talk about the types of music education kids can pursue.

In music education, there are private lessons, group classes, music in school, marching band, choir, concert band, orchestra, and dance.

How you decide which type of music education your child pursues is determined by your lifestyle and your child’s desire to learn.  If you’re a music teacher, you’ll be teaching one of these types of music education.

 

What are your thoughts about why music education is important?  How has it impacted your life or the life of your student’s? 

I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below or share your thoughts on social media as you share this post.   

Also, I’d love for you to share this post or any of the resources on my website with a friend or colleague who you know NEEDS to see it.

P.S.  Are you feeling frustrated or stuck as an elementary music teacher?  Check out these free resources to help you teach elementary music with confidence!

Also…I wrote a book called “Make A Note: What You Really Need To Know About Teaching Elementary Music” to help music teachers move forward in your teaching career.  You can get your copy here.