Music Advocacy

New York Times Op-Ed Highlights the Link Between Music Study and SuccessPosted by shannonk on Tuesday, October 15, 2013

On Sunday, the New York Times Opinion Pages featured a piece on the association between music study and success in other fields.  Condoleeza Rice, Alan Greenspan, Woody Allen, Paula Zahn, Larry Page, and Stephen Spielberg are among the top performers in their fields who have also studied music seriously.

When the author posed the question, “What is it about serious music training that seems to correlate with outsize success in other fields?” to these professionals, almost all connected their training in music with their other achievements.

As the author states:

“The phenomenon extends beyond the math-music association. Strikingly, many high achievers told me music opened up the pathways to creative thinking. And their experiences suggest that music training sharpens other qualities: Collaboration. The ability to listen. A way of thinking that weaves together disparate ideas. The power to focus on the present and the future simultaneously.”

Read more below– and share with your students, parents, teachers, and friends!

Some general statistics and facts about music participation:

Students of the arts continue to outperform their non-arts peers on the SAT, according to reports by the College Entrance

Examination Board. In a recent report the College Board found that students in music performance scored 57 points higher

on the critical reading, 43 points higher on the math and 58 points higher on writing than students with no arts participation;

students in music appreciation scored 62 points higher on verbal, 41 points higher on math and 61 on writing. - The

College Board, Profile of College-Bound Seniors National Report.

The arts provide young people with authentic learning experiences that engage their minds, hearts, and bodies.

Engagement in the arts nurtures the development of cognitive, social, and personal competencies.

While learning in other disciplines may often focus on development of a single skill or talent, the arts regularly engage

multiple skills and abilities. Music requires the integration of eye-hand coordination, rhythm, tonality, symbol recognition and

interpretation, attention span, and other factors that represent synthetic aspects of human intelligence. In addition, critical

thinking, problem-solving, and learning how to work cooperatively toward shared goals are all skills which are reinforced

through music education.

Music is one of the seven intelligences identified in the brain and the only one that utilizes all seven intelligences

simultaneously. Thus, students who participate in music courses exercise more of their brain than in any other course they

take in school.

Band reinforces the skills of cooperation which are among the qualities now most highly valued in business and industry,

especially in high-tech contexts. Members are required to shift from an I/Me focus to a We/Us focus. Instead of the logic

being, "what's in it for me," it becomes, "what's in it for us?" Band is a group effort which focuses on group goals and the

completion of those goals in each and every rehearsal and performance.

The benefits conveyed by music education can be grouped into four categories

Success in society

Success in school

Success in developing intelligence

Success in life

Benefit One: Success in Society

The U.S. Department of Education lists the arts as subjects that college-bound middle and junior high school students

should take, stating "Many colleges view participation in the arts and music as a valuable experience that broadens students'

understanding and appreciation of the world around them. It is also well known and widely recognized that the arts contribute

significantly to children's intellectual development." In addition, one year of Visual and Performing Arts is recommended for

college-bound high school students. - Getting Ready for College Early: A Handbook for Parents of Students in the Middle

and Junior High School Years, U.S. Department of Education

The College Board identifies the arts as one of the six basic academic subject areas students should study in order to

succeed in college. - Academic Preparation for College: What Students Need to Know and Be Able to Do, The College

Board

The very best engineers and technical designers in the Silicon Valley industry are, nearly without exception, practicing

musicians. - Grant Venerable, "The Paradox of the Silicon Savior"

Benefit Two: Success in School

In an analysis of U.S. Department of Education data on more than 25,000 secondary school students (NELS: National

Education Longitudinal Survey), researchers found that students who report consistent high levels of involvement in

instrumental music over the middle and high school years show "significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by

grade 12." This observation holds regardless of students' socio-economic status, and differences in those who are involved

with instrumental music vs. those who are not is more significant over time. - Catterall, James S., Richard Chapleau, and

John Iwanaga. "Involvement in the Arts and Human Development: General Involvement and Intensive Involvement in Music

and Theater Arts." Los Angeles, CA: The Imagination Project at UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information

Studies

Students with coursework/experience in music performance and music appreciation scored higher on the SAT: students in

music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal and 41 points higher on the math, and students in music

appreciation scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on the math, than did students with no arts

participation. - College-Bound Seniors National Report: Profile of SAT Program Test Takers. Princeton, NJ: The College

Entrance Examination Board, 2001

Data from the National Education Longitudinal Study showed that music participants received more academic honors and

awards than non-music students, and that the percentage of music participants receiving As, As/Bs, and Bs was higher than

the percentage of non-participants receiving those grades. - NELS: First Follow-up, National Center for Education Statistics, Washington DC

Benefits of Being in Band

www.kbba.org/Benefits.html 2/2

Physician and biologist Lewis Thomas studied the undergraduate majors of medical school applicants. He found that 66% of

music majors who applied to medical school were admitted, the highest percentage of any group. 44% of biochemistry

majors were admitted. - As reported in "The Case for Music in the Schools," Phi Delta Kappan

Benefit Three: Success in Developing Intelligence

"The musician is continually making decisions on tempo, tone, intonation, style, rhythm, balance, phrasing, and feeling--

training the brain to become incredibly good at organizing and conducting numerous activities at once. Dedicated practice of

this orchestration can have a great payoff for lifelong attentional skills, intelligence, and an ability for self-knowledge and

expression." - Ratey John J., MD. A User's Guide to the Brain. New York: Pantheon Books, 2001

A research team exploring the link between music and intelligence reported that music training is far superior to computer

instruction in dramatically enhancing children's abstract reasoning skills, the skills necessary for learning math and science.

- Shaw, Rauscher, Levine, Wright, Dennis and Newcomb, "Music training causes long-term enhancement of preschool

children's spatial-temporal reasoning," Neurological Research, Vol. 19

Researchers at the University of Montreal used various brain imaging techniques to investigate brain activity during musical

tasks and found that sight-reading musical scores and playing music both activate regions in all four of the cortex's lobes;

and that parts of the cerebellum are also activated during those tasks. - Sergent, J., Zuck, E., Tenial, S., and MacDonall, B.

Researchers in Leipzig found that brain scans of musicians showed larger planum temporale (a brain region related to some

reading skills) than those of non-musicians. They also found that the musicians had a thicker corpus callosum (the bundle of

nerve fibers that connects the two halves of the brain) than those of non-musicians, especially for those who had begun

their training before the age of seven. - Schlaug, G., Jancke, L., Huang, Y., and Steinmetz, H. Proceedings of the 3d

international conference for music perception and cognition (pp. 417-418). Liege, Belgium

Benefit Four: Success in Life

"The nation's top business executives agree that arts education programs can help repair weaknesses in American

education and better prepare workers for the 21st century." - "The Changing Workplace is Changing Our View of

Education." Business Week

At perhaps no other time have music and arts education been more important. Apart from their obvious benefits, music and

the other arts produce critical thinkers, people who are decision makers. In the information age, our company needs people

with these critical thinking skills. - Susan Driggers, Bell South Corporation

"Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them - a world of work, culture,

intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete

education that includes music." - Gerald Ford, former President, United States of America

"During the Gulf War, the few opportunities I had for relaxation I always listened to music, and it brought to me great peace

of mind. I have shared my love of music with people throughout this world, while listening to the drums and special

instruments of the Far East, Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Far North - and all of this started with the music

appreciation course that I was taught in a third-grade elementary class in Princeton, New Jersey. What a tragedy it would be

if we lived in a world where music was not taught to children." - H. Norman Schwarzkopf, General, U.S. Army, retired

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LIFESTYLE

The benefits of playing music: Kids who play in a band do better in math and reading, research shows

Eric Peterson, director of bands at Evergreen Junior High School and its feeder elementary schools, is an ardent believer that students who play musical instruments have an academic edge over those who don't. He backs his statement with research from leading universities and a recent endorsement from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, saying, 'The arts can help students become tenacious, team-oriented problem solvers who are confident and able to think creatively.'

— Image Credit: Courtesy Photo

by MARY STEVENS DECKER,  Redmond Reporter Reporter posted Sep 4, 2009 at 12:41 PM

Last month, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issued a letter asking school and education community leaders to embrace "the importance of the arts as a core academic subject and part of a complete education for all students."

That was music to the ears of Eric Peterson, director of bands at Redmond's Evergreen Junior High School (EJH) and its feeder elementary schools in the Lake Washington School District (LWSD). As he and co-teacher Michael Chapin recruit young musicians, he wants parents to know about research indicating that kids who study music do better in math, reading and language arts than those who don't.

In tough economic times, when school districts and parents talk about cutting costs, arts are sometimes dismissed as an unnecessary frill.

"But if the Secretary of Education qualifies arts as core education, I think that means it's not a frill," said Peterson.

Lake Washington School District's Student Profile includes arts training as an aspect of its mission to ensure "each student will graduate prepared to lead a rewarding, responsible life as a contributing member of our community and greater society" and its vision to make "every student future ready — prepared for college, prepared for the global workplace, prepared for personal success."

Along those lines, Duncan's letter said "the arts can help students become tenacious, team-oriented problem solvers, who are confident and able to think creatively. These qualities can be especially important in improving learning among students from economically disadvantaged circumstances."

Peterson reasoned, "Arts education reaches out to them, gives them a reason to come to school."

And he said there are always ways to put musical instruments into the hands of kids who want to play, even when money is scarce.

Local stores such as Mills Music and Kennelly Keys have affordable rental programs. Peterson has an inventory of used "loaner" instruments. An anonymous donor has sponsored a few music students at EJH. School PTSAs and Music Boosters groups provide grants and scholarships.

"Just like students who want to participate in athletics, we will make it work some way," Peterson emphasized.

He cited a Long Island University study which said "little kids who take piano lessons have better vocabulary and verbal sequencing skills — and for school age kids, musicians have better oral discrimination or language accent skills."

A Stanford University study showed that "struggling readers can process more auditory clues through oral and visual reading of music," Peterson continued. "A Northwestern University study said they're also better at picking up subtle emotional cues."

In the Marysville School District, after all sixth graders were required to take band, there was a significant jump in WASL scores, he pointed out.

According to The College Entrance Examination Board, "students in music appreciation scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on math than students with no arts participation."

Some bastions of higher learning, including the University of Washington, have switched to a "holistic" admissions approach, rather than just looking at a student's SAT scores. Again, involvement in school music is seen as a valuable asset to the student's portfolio, said Peterson.

"They see kids involved in something that it is a long-term commitment, making steady progress. They see discipline, hard work, problem-solving, better students in general," he explained.

Peterson also mentioned the book "Brain Rules" by UW scientist John Medina, in which MRI studies of performing musicians showed "no difference between right brain and left brain thinking — all the neurons are firing at once."

To help kids learn, "we must involve as many senses as possible," Peterson contended.

"While playing music, they are physically involved, which is kinesthetic. They are decoding, which is linguistic. They are using mathematics for counting and balances."

And in an age when students are increasingly stressed by academic expectations and global concerns, "we teach music as an art form and as being 'intrapersonal' — looking inside yourself, producing emotion and bringing that out," he concluded.

To learn more about music programs at Evergreen Junior High and its elementary feeders (Alcott, Dickinson, Einstein, Rosa Parks and Wilder), contact Eric Peterson at epeterson@lwsd.org.

For information about other music programs in the Lake Washington School District, inquire at your child's school or visit their individual Web page. Links are available at www.lwsd.org.MARY STEVENS DECKER,  Redmond Reporter Reporter mdecker@redmond-reporter.com or (425) 867-0353, ext. 5052

 

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Students Help Reveal Stunning Benefits of Band and Chorus

Music courses have tremendous positive impact according to research and the personal experiences of two

University School students. Here are just a few of our combined findings.

Music Classes Help Students Perform Better Academically

Sarah Gordon, University School senior:

“Music helps you retain information and have better math skills.

“Learning how to read music is one of the more beneficial things I've learned in my life because it seems to

translate from the stage to the classroom to life.

“You also learn extreme team work skills, and gain a confidence that may help you make a better

presentation in English or answer a question in science class.

“Just this year, Mr. Walker started an honors band. Members run the band through musical warm-up

exercises every morning. All three [participants] were shy, but this has caused them to take initiative and

develop leadership skills.”

Research:

Students of the arts outperform their non-arts peers on the SAT according to reports by the College

Entrance Board. (To the tune of 57 points higher on verbal and 41 on the math portion.)1

Music is the only one of the seven intelligences identified in the brain that utilizes all seven

simultaneously. Thus students who participate in music courses exercise more of their brain than in

any other course they take in school. 1

Sight-reading has been referred to as a “game of mental anticipation.” Good sight-reading helps

students to process key information quickly and efficiently, providing an overview of tasks that lay

ahead. 2

Considering med school? Physician and biologist Lewis Thomas studied the undergrad majors of

med school applicants and found that 66% of music majors who applied were admitted, the

HIGHEST percentage of any group. (44% of biochemistry majors were admitted.) - as reported in

"The Case for Music in the Schools," Phi Delta Kappan1

Music Classes Broaden Student Horizons

Zachary Laurence, University School junior:

“There are numerous peers who would have never normally done theater, but who ended up doing so

because they had so much fun in chorus.

“You may not typically see football players play piano in public schools, but at USchool, they allow you the

opportunity to do all these different things. Last year, we had a bunch of football players, and they loved it.

“When you’re in chorus, you feed off each other’s emotions and abilities and learn to blend. You make a lot

of friends, and you have fun. When people join, they wonder ‘why haven’t I been doing this the entire

time?’

5/18/2007 8:54:00 AMEditorialBenefits of school music go beyond the band roomWith schools everywhere faced with tough budget decisions and continually forced to do more with less, it's encouraging to see music returning to Palestine High School. 

Adding band and chorus as an option for high-school students for the 2007-08 school year, which the Unit 3 board approved Monday night, will give students a chance to discover and develop unknown talents, and give students who may not excel in any other area a chance to do so. 

But the benefits of school music programs, and arts programs in general, go far beyond that. Here are just a few revealing statistics compiled recently by the music department of a Missouri school district from various studies and reports:

• Musicians are more likely to graduate from college and own a home.

• Music students score higher in math, science and reading.

• Music students are shown in surveys to have higher self-esteem.

• Students who participate in band show the lowest lifetime and current use of controlled substances.

• Almost all of the top engineers and technical designers in Silicon Valley industries are practicing musicians.

• Students who can be classified as "disruptive" (truancy, suspensions, discipline issues, dropping out) total more than 12 percent of the total school population. Only eight percent of students in music classes met the same criteria.

• Students in arts programs showed significant increases in thinking skills.

And the list goes on. Music education, while it is not a "cure-all" for the challenges schools and their students face today, and while it does not have the same impact on every student, certainly goes a long way toward creating an environment where the arts are taken seriously. And while music and arts programs are generally (and regrettably) not considered part of schools' "core" curriculum of reading, math and science, their availability enhances students' performance in all of those areas and more.

It was noted Monday night that PHS may have to "start small," and it was good to see board members and administrators buying in to that vision. There are undoubtedly a lot of creative ways to do so. But when the schools, students and parents begin seeing the positive impact created by the return of the music program, it's a good bet that the program won't stay small for long.

The Benefits of Music Education

The Benefits to the Brain: Cognitive Development

Adults who receive formal music instruction as children have more robust brainstem

responses to sound than peers who never participate in music lessons and that the

magnitude of the response correlates with how recently training ceased. These results

suggest that neural changes accompanying musical training during childhood are

retained in adulthood.

— Skoe, E. & Kraus, N. (2012). A Little Goes a Long Way: How the Adult Brain Is

Shaped by Musical Training in Childhood, Journal of Neuroscience, 32 (34)

11510. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1949-12.2012

Students in high-quality school music education programs score higher on standardized

tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs,

regardless of the socioeconomic level of community.

Playing a musical instrument significantly enhances the brainstem's sensitivity to

speech sounds. This relates to encoding skills involved with music and language.

Experience with music at a young age can "fine-tune" the brains auditory system.

— Nature Neuroscience, April 2007

Results From The Elementary School Study prove that:

• Students in top-quality music programs scored 22% better in English and 20% better

in mathematics than students in deficient music programs.

• These academic differences were fairly consistent across geographic regions.

• Students at the four elementary schools with high-quality music programs scored

better than students participating in programs considered to be of lower quality.

Results From The Middle Schools Study

• Students in top-quality instrumental programs scored 19% higher in English than

students in schools without a music program, and 32% higher in English than students

in a deficient choral program.

• Students in top-quality instrumental programs scored 17% higher in mathematics than

children in schools without a music program, and 33% higher in mathematics than

students in a deficient choral program.

• Students at schools with excellent music programs had higher English test scores

across the country than students in schools with low-quality music programs; this was

also true when considering mathematics.

• Students in all regions with lower-quality instrumental programs scored higher in

English and mathematics than students who had no music at all.

— Journal for Research in Music Education, June 2007; Dr. Christopher

Johnson, Jenny Memmott

Young Children who take music lessons show different brain development and

improved memory over the course of a year, compared to children who do not receive

musical training. Musically trained children performed better in a memory test that is

correlated with general intelligence skills such as literacy, verbal memory, visiospatial

processing, mathematics, and IQ.

— Dr. Laurel Trainor, Prof. of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behavior at

McMaster University, 2006

Stanford University research has found for the first time that musical training improves

how the brain processes the spoken word, a finding that researchers say could lead to

improving the reading ability of children who have dyslexia and other reading

problems… ‘Especially for children ... who aren't good at rapid auditory processing and

are high-risk for becoming poor readers, they may especially benefit from musical

training.’

— From “Playing music can be good for your brain,” SF Chronicle, November 17,

2005 (article on recent Stanford research study linking music and language)

The musician is constantly adjusting decisions on tempo, tone, style, rhythm, phrasing,

and feeling – training the brain to become incredibly good at organizing and conducting

numerous activities at once. Dedicated practice of this orchestration can have a great

payoff for lifelong attention skills, intelligence, and an ability for self-knowledge and

expression.

— From A User’s Guide to the Brain, May 31, 2003; Ratey, John J., MD Learning and performing music actually exercise the brain – not merely by developing

specific music skills, but also by strengthening the synapses between brain cells…What

is important is not how well a student plays but rather the simultaneous engagement of

senses, muscles, and intellect. Brain scans taken during musical performances show

that virtually the entire cerebral cortex is active while musicians are playing. Can you

think of better exercise for the mind/brain? In short, making music actively engages the

brain synapses, and there is good reason to believe that it increases the brain's capacity

by increasing the strengths of connections among neurons.

— From “The Music in Our Minds,” Educational Leadership, Vol. 56, #3; Norman

M. Weinberger

Music enhances the process of learning. The systems it nourishes, which include our

integrated sensory, attention, cognitive, emotional and motor capacities, are shown to

be the driving forces behind all other learning.

— From Empathy, Arts and Social Studies, 2000; Konrad, R.R.

Taking piano lessons and solving math puzzles on a computer significantly improves

specific math skills of elementary school children. Children given four months of piano

keyboard training, as well as time playing with newly designed computer software,

scored 27 percent higher on proportional math and fractions tests than other children.

— From Neurological Research, March 15, 1999; Gordon Shaw, Ph.D, University

of California, Irvine

Researchers at the University of Munster in Germany reported their discovery that

music lessons in childhood actually enlarge the brain. An area used to analyze the pitch

of a musical note is enlarged 25% in musicians, compared to people who have never

played an instrument. The findings suggest the area is enlarged through practice and

experience. The earlier the musicians were when they started musical training, the

bigger this area of the brain appears to be.

— From Nature, April 23, 1998; Christian Pantev, et al

Nowhere in the spectrum of arts learning effects on cognitive functioning are impacts

more clear than in the rich archive of studies, many very recent, that show connections

between music learning or musical experiences and fundamental cognitive capability

called special reasoning. Music listening, learning to play piano and keyboards, and

learning piano and voice all contribute to spatial reasoning…In the vast literature on

spatial reasoning (about 3,000 studies in some bibliographies), it is clear that

mathematical skills as well as language facility benefit directly from spatial reasoning.

— From James S. Catterall, UCLA, Fall 1997

The Benefits to Students: Personal and Academic Success

Nearly 100% of past winners in the prestigious Siemens Westinghouse Competition in

Math, Science, and Technology (for high School students) play one or more musical

instruments. This led the Siemens Foundation to host a recital at Carnegie Hall in 2004,

featuring some of these young people. After which a panel of experts debated the

nature of the apparent science/music link.

— The Midland Chemist (American Chemical Society) Vol. 42, No.1, Feb. 2005

Students consistently involved in orchestra or band during their middle and high school

years performed better in math at grade 12. The results were even more pronounced

when comparing students from low-income families. Those who were involved in

orchestra or band were more than twice as likely to perform at the highest levels in math

as their peers who were not involved in music.

— From Catterall, James S., Richard Chapleau, and John Iwanaga (2002),

“Involvement in the Arts and Human Development: Extending an Analysis of

General Associations and Introducing the Special Cases of Intensive

Involvement in Music and Theatre Arts.” In R. Deasy (Ed.), Critical Links:

Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development,

Washington, DC: AEP.

Students at risk of not successfully completing their high school educations cite their

participation in the arts as reasons for staying in school. Factors related to the arts that

positively affected the motivation of these students included a supportive environment

that promotes constructive acceptance of criticism and one where it is safe to take risks.

— From The Role of the Fine and Performing Arts in High School Dropout

Prevention, 2002; Barry, N., J. Taylor, and K. Walls

Dr. James Catterall of UCLA has analyzed the school records of 25,000 students as

they moved from grade 8 to grade 10. He found that students who studied music and

the arts had higher grades, scored better on standardized tests, had better attendance

records and were more active in community affairs than other students. He also found

that students from poorer families who studied the arts improved overall school

performance more rapidly than all other students.

— From Catterall, UCLA, Fall 1997

Second graders from a low income school in Los Angeles were given eight months of

piano keyboard training, as well as time playing with newly designed music software.

The result? These students, taking the Stanford 9 Math Test, went from scoring in the

30th to the 65th percentile. These second graders were performing sixth grade math.

The critical point here is the students were not taught math using music…they were

taught music. It was the process of learning music that helped improve their math skills.

—From Neurological Research, March 15, 1999

Students of lower socioeconomic status who took music lessons in grades 8–12

increased their math scores significantly as compared to non-music students. But just

as important, reading, history, geography and even social skills soared by 40%.

—From Nature, May 23, 1996; Gardiner, Fox, Jeffrey and Knowles

A report released by the Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse found that

students involved in courses beyond the required ‘basics’ were less likely to be involved

with drugs. The study went on to show that ‘Secondary students who participated in

Band or Orchestra reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances’

(Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana or any illicit drug).

— From Houston Chronicle, January 11, 1998

Students consistently involved in orchestra or band during their middle and

high school years performed better in math at grade 12. The results were

even more pronounced when comparing students from low-income families.

Those who were involved in orchestra or band were more than twice as likely

to perform at the highest levels in math as their peers who were not involved

in music.

— From Catterall, James S., Richard Chapleau, and John Iwanaga (2002),

“Involvement in the Arts and Human Development: Extending an Analysis of

General Associations and Introducing the Special Cases of Intensive

Involvement in Music and Theatre Arts.” In R. Deasy (Ed.), Critical Links:

Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development,

Washington, DC: AEP.

Learning in the arts nurtures motivation, including active engagement, disciplined and

sustained attention, persistence and risk taking. It also increases attendance and

educational aspirations.

— From Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social

Development, Arts Education Partnership, 2002

Arts participation and SAT scores co-vary—that is, they tend to increase linearly: the

more arts classes, the higher the scores. This relationship is illustrated in the 2005

results shown below. Notably, students who took four years of arts coursework

outperformed their peers who had one half-year or less of arts coursework by 58 points

on the verbal portion and 38 points on the math portion of the SAT.

VERBAL MATH

4+ Years of Arts 534 540

4 Years 543 541

3 Years 514 516

2 Years 508 517

1 Year 501 515

1/2 Year 485 502

Average for All SAT Test Takers 508 520

— Source: 2005 College-Bound Seniors: Total Group Profile Report, The College

Board, 2005

Students of music continue to outperform their non-arts peers on the SAT, according to

reports by the College Entrance Examination Board. In 2006, SAT takers with

coursework/experience in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal

portion of the test and 43 points higher on her math portion than students with no

coursework or experience in the arts. Scores for those with coursework in music

appreciation were 62 points higher on the verbal and 41 points higher on the math

portion.

— The College Board, Profile of College-Bound Seniors National Report for 2006

Music Education: How Schools Are Doing

The 1997 National Assessment of Educational Progress in arts education (visual art,

music, theatre and dance) studied the general population of 8th graders across the

country and found that students are not achieving at high levels in responding to,

performing or creating works of art. However, NAEP found that students receiving

classroom arts instruction outperformed other students and that instruction increased all

of their arts abilities, including the ability to create works of quality that communicated

complex ideas and feelings – a fundamental communication skill in contemporary

society. Unfortunately, less than half of the nation’s 8th graders are being taught the

arts…Even at schools where [music and art] courses are offered, not everyone takes

part. Only one in four 8th graders reported being asked to sing or play a musical

instrument at least once a week. — From1997 National Assessment of Educational Progress in Arts Education

With passage of a mil-levy in 1997, Adams 14 restored the arts, in fact making arts

education central to the student (and parent) experience…student attendance, parent

participation, and student achievement have soared: not one of the Adams 14 Schools

has received an unsatisfactory rating on the state report cards.

— From “Potent Partnerships: Community-based Resources for Arts Education,”

The State Education Standard, Winter 2004; Gully Stanford

With its many challenges and opportunities, [No Child Left Behind] dominates the state

and local education landscape today. What the long-term effects of NCLB will be on

funding and support for arts education in the schools remain unclear. So far, the results

have been mixed. Schools in some states report the amount of instructional time

devoted to reading, writing, math and science has increased, while for the arts it has

declined.

— From “Academic Atrophy: The Condition of the Liberal Arts in America’s

Schools,” Council for Basic Education, 2004; von Zastrow, Claus with Helen Janc

…while virtually every state has adopted standards in the arts, only a few have

incorporated the subject into their state accountability systems…[this can cause some

states to] choose to narrow the curriculum in order to reach higher student

achievements in a few subjects [such as math and reading].

— From “The Complete Curriculum: Ensuring a Place for the Arts and Foreign

Languages in America’s Schools,” NASBE, October 2003

The Creative Economy: Work Force Preparation for the 21st Century

Though it's crucial to invest in math, science and engineering, as the president outlined

in his recent State of the Union address, there are other fields that hold more

promise…Prefer a more artistic career? Our economy is poised to create new forms of

entertainment, from rock 'n' roll and hip-hop to film and video games. Indeed, over the

next 10 years, jobs in art, music, culture and entertainment will grow twice as many as

jobs in engineering will.

— From “A search for jobs in some of the wrong places,” USA Today, February

12, 2006; Richard Florida Of course, both the fundamentals and the more creative fields are crucial to our

economic success. The basics are not enough, though. What we really need in order

to prepare our children for the creative economy is a comprehensive education,

something that takes them from aesthetics to algebra without pretending that the two

are mutually exclusive. We need to see to it that, from an early age, our entire

population is encouraged to develop its people skills with its multiplication tables and its

creative and entrepreneurial potential with its reading abilities.

— From The Flight of the Creative Class: The New Global Competition for

Talent, 2005; Richard Florida