Music programs are beneficial to the development and teaching of our students and should not be cut. I. Benefits a. Higher English scores b. Higher math scores c. Better memory d. Higher act scores II. Elementary School Delanie Bull 2/ 28/ 13 Mrs. Blair Argumentative Essay Why Music Programs Are Beneficial and Should Not Be Cut. Many music programs across the United States are being cut or replaced in schools. Most people think that music programs are not as important as other programs throughout the school.
These people usually do not realize the many benefits of music programs and just music in general. Music programs are beneficial in many ways. Music is not only fun but can help with the development of younger children continuing through elementary and middle school. There is also the benefit of better memory, English, and math skills. These benefits can be seen throughout the rest of your life. Development in a young child is very important. The rate at which a young child matures sets a child up for the rest of its life.
Growth in a young child mostly includes hearing and speaking; if those skills do not develop or develop slowly it can majorly impact the child’s life. Music can help to keep this development regulate or to speed it up when a child falls behind. Many people are doubtful of this process. If you look back to your childhood, most people will find that the first things they learn as a kid are accompanied by music. For example, the little tune you would learn would help teach you to tie your shoes, say your ABC’s, or do many other things. In some case when a child has trouble with learning something we try to create a tune to teach them.
In most of your children’s educational television shows the show is filled with music. Children learn these tunes and in time the lyrics click in the kids mind. In time the kids learn what is in the song and can answer questions without even singing it. Elementary school is the next step in a child’s step of life. This is where children learn most of their reading and speaking skills. This is also where they learn how to interact with other students. Some students have trouble with one if not all of these processes. Not knowing how to do these skills can be a huge detriment towards a kid’s life.
It can cause the kid to be in a separate class and in some cases the children are even picked on. Learning how to interact with other students can be hard on children too. Music can help with all of these impairments. Getting along with others can be the hardest skill to learn for most children. When playing a sport it can lead to being left out or being pushed around. Music classes let the children interact with others with little chances of violence. The music can brighten their day in many ways. Music is the basis of many of the childhood “ favorites” such as musical chairs, “ ring-around-the-rosy”, and a few other games.
A game like musical chairs gets children not only interacting with others and creates friendly competition but enhances a child’s listening skills. “ Ring-around-the-rosy” is a game that teaches kids the lyrics of the song and teaches them how to interact with them in a fun way. They learn the lyrics and create motions to go with the song really getting the students into it. This process is really useful in getting students to interact with others. Come middle school most of the brains development is done for a little while. One might ask how music is beneficial during this time.
The music skills students learned in elementary school are carried on into middle school. What is the problem most middle school students have trouble with…grades. How can music help with grades? As you might have just learned music helps with memory skills, but if you play an instrument or even just know how to read music it can make your math and English skills better. Reading music consists seeing a note and recognizing its name and putting the length of the note into the rhythm. Students can use these skills while playing an instrument or if instruments are not handy you can always sing or clap the rhythm.
Clapping the music helps the students learn to pay attention and really focus and they work on coordination. The children work on coordination by learning how to clap right in time with the music (Phillips, Carolyn Twelve benefits of Music Education 3). You can also break the music into parts letting the children work together to get the desired song. By doing all this work with music students can get a better understanding of numbers and counting. This process can also help with fractions and multiplying. Helping the child get through most of the problems throughout middle school and getting them ready for high school.
In high school one of the biggest things you work towards are a better ACT score and setting yourself up to get into a good college. Both of these things set you up for the rest of your life. Music can help with both of these tasks. The first time you take your ACT can be stressful. Listening to comforting music before the test can relieve that stress and actually raise your score up to 5 points in all subjects (Music and The Brain 1). Students who have been in music programs through most of their schooling have scores up to 4 extra points higher than the average student (VH1 save the music 4).
If that student has played an instrument during that time can add another 2 points to their scores. That is a total of up to 10 extra points. That can be a huge impact on your score and can affect your getting into college. Colleges look at many aspects when deciding whether to accept you and/or to give you scholarships. Your ACT score, school activities, and grades being a few of these things. The higher your ACT score the more likely you are to get into whatever school you like. School activities play a huge role in this acceptance too. Being in a lot of clubs and programs doesn’t get you in. It is what programs you were in that does.
Being in a music program boosts your acceptance rate by 12%. Playing in a band or just playing a musical instrument raises that by another 10%, raising your acceptance rate by 22%. If you include that high ACT score you got from the help of music you are more likely to get into most 4 year colleges. The reason most music programs are cut is because of the cost of them. Most people think that the music programs have to have instruments for it to be a good beneficial program. This theory is very easily incorrect. Music programs can be just as beneficial with instruments as it can be with a cd player and some educational or enjoyable cds.
Most forms of music are beneficial toward the development of children no matter how simple the music is. Music can be made without the high cost of instruments and other fancy things. Music skills can be learned with a few pieces of music and a person with the ability of teaching the children how to read it. Music programs are very versatile and it is easy to get all of the benefits with little work or cost. Music programs are not of high cost and should not be cut for that reason. Some school also cut the program due to lack of music teachers.
To have good music program you do not need a person with a music degree. A person that graduated from high school and can get along with children is more than enough to get all the benefits needed from the program. These skills follow you throughout the rest of your life. If you have played a musical instrument most places are more likely to hire you. It shows that you are intelligent and have dedication toward the task at hand. At a time like this most of us have to worry about lay off and other cuts throughout the work field. Most people who have musical experience are least likely to face these cuts.
People who have studied music are more likely to be dedicated to their job and tend to work harder at the task at hand. As you can see music programs are highly beneficial in many ways for students of all ages. Without these benefits, yes the students will be fine, but think of the opportunities your child is missing out on. Music can open a child’s eyes in all new ways. These programs can lead your child to higher grades and a better future. Music has played a key role in your development how would you feel if your child didn’t get that step up in life that music might provide for them?
Music programs are also low cost and require little staffing. Music programs are also highly enjoyable to the students in them and usually to the staff member teaching it. If the class puts on a performance it can bring in profit toward the school and the program. If funding were a problem the program could easily be funded in this way. The performances are also fun for the students and their parents, sometimes even the whole town. Music programs can be highly beneficial towards all the students and in return beneficial to the workforce of the town and should not be cut from school curriculum.
