How Children Benefit from Music Education
When school administrators factor budgets, music education is often one of the first activities cut from the curriculum due to funding. By cutting music programs, educators are robbing kids of several benefits and achievements music provides. Studies have proven that kids benefit greatly from music, including achieving better grades, improving social skills and developing self discipline.
“If a school does not recognize the value of music education, the risk of music suffering serious budget cuts is heightened. Too often, school leaders and parents lack a true understanding of the importance of music education in a child’s development,” states Joseph Pergola of the National Educational Music Company.
He continues, “Too many school boards believe that cutting or eliminating music programs will ease budget restraints with little or no detrimental effect on students. It is the responsibility of every music education advocate to be able to effectively dispute this claim.”
With that said, more than eight in ten teachers (83 percent) and more than seven in ten parents (73 percent) believe budget cuts in music education are detrimental to students, according to the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation. Urban teachers believe more strongly that music education can improve children’s communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and innovation skills.
“If a school does not recognize the value of music education, the risk of music suffering serious budget cuts is heightened.”
The National Association for Music Education reports that schools that have music programs have a greater attendance rate than schools without music programs. It’s also been proven that children who are enrolled in high-quality music education programs score higher on standardized tests, including English and math, compared to students with deficient music education programs.
Studies prove that children with disabilities succeed better with music lessons as they expand brain development and improve their memory skills. Dr. Laurel Trainor, Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behavior at McMaster University claims that musically trained children perform better with general intelligence skills such as literacy, verbal memory, visiospatial processing, mathematics, and IQ.
Music also expands cognitive and IQ development. Studies suggests that music may hold the key to higher brain function and dramatic enhancements in abstract reasoning skills. Studying a musical instrument strengthens hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and aids emotional and behavioral maturation.
Children who engage in music tend to have better studying habits, work better in teams, have enhanced critical thinking skills, stay in school, and pursue further education than those who don’t play an instrument. The NAMM Foundation claims that African American and Hispanic parents feel that music benefits children more than other parents.
