Music is an essential part of the educational experience. It pains me to see that schools are continuing to lose their music programs; cutting jobs, reducing classes, and eliminating music requirements. Most schools do not have general music classes for students in grades eight or above. Some high schools have "Fine Arts" requirements, but this could allow a student to take only art classes.
Music is the universal language. It is present in every culture around the world. It may take on different forms and play different roles, but its purposes remain the same. Music is first and foremost meant to entertain. It is presented to an audience for their enjoyment. (Do not confuse enjoyment with being happy. A gut-wrenchingly sorrowful piece can provide intense enjoyment.) But music can also be used to celebrate, to mourn, to praise, to honor, to heal, and to soothe.
Music is also used to teach, especially with younger children. It is an excellent educational tool because it contains so many different subjects. It has math (counting, addition, fractions, division), foreign language (musical terms are typically in Italian, but are also frequently found in French and German), science (physics of sound, acoustics), physical education (training muscle memory, breathing exercises), and history (learning about historical context of pieces and influences of time periods upon writing). Music also teaches students abstract thought, as they learn the visual representation of sound. Practicing music teaches students to strive for their best.
Perhaps most importantly, music is a means of expression. So many things can be conveyed through music that could never be said or written. It provides an outlet for emotion and creativity that the other subjects do not. It is subjective and teaches students the important lesson of "personal opinion".
Music is constantly present in our everyday lives. Especially now that mp3 players and CDs are so cheap and readily available to the masses. It is important for people to be able to speak intelligently about music. Ideally, I feel everyone should be able to either sing or play an instrument, but at least a solid background in music is desirable.
Without music, life would be a mistake. -Friederich Nietzsche
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It is quite sorrowful to see "The Fine Arts" given such poor treatment. Nietzsche's words are true, without music, life is a mistake. This nation's youth is being degraded over the years. Our fathers and their's before them worked so much harder then we do. We are growing up in a world where less is more. Fewer and fewer young people want to do anything worth while anymore unless they have to. This is a great topic, and I hope you write more in the future.
-Tsunamirai
I agree to some point. I think that music is very important for us, as it provides all the things that you have written down. However, art (drawing, sculpting, all that jazz, no pun intended) provides most of not all of the educational topics that music can cover, as well as a lot of other subjects that are generally known as creative outlets.
The problem, i think, is that as music is being more and more digitalized, and therefore easier to produce, it is becoming less of what is used to be. With programs that you can use to create pieces on the computer, people don't even need to have ever played an instrument to create a brilliant piece music. Since now almost anyone can download fruityloops, or acid, or one of the many other programs that can create music, creating music will become (it hasn't yet, but this is my prediction) less and less impressive.
We are a far way away from this, of course, as people who can play an instrument are still respected by those who can't, and not everyone knows how to use music creating programs, as they can be complicated
My feeling is that the visual arts are not as readily available or easily accessible to the masses. A large majority of people can carry a tune or tap a rhythm, but I don't think I could say the same about creating a sculpture or painting a picture.
As someone who has very little creativity in the visual arts, music has become my life. I would have missed out on a form of expression and ultimately my future career had I not been able to become part of a performing ensemble. The visual arts have never come easy to me, and I see them more as another task to complete (when I am asked to do something visually creative) instead of a way of conveying my own ideas.
And because music has become more digital it absolutely is there for anyone to use as their creative medium. More and more people can use it to translate their thoughts and ideas (even if its not "high art"). This is yet another reason why music education is essential in schools. The everyday person should know how to use these programs so that they can make better works and fulfill any musical dreams they may have.
These programs don't necessarily produce great works of art, but most contemporary composers don't use them. Instead they use programs like Finale or Sibelius which notate the music. I don't think that the creation of great music will become any less impressive, but instead the creation of general music will become more abundant. This shouldn't take away from the amazing new compositions that are being written every day. Please check out the works of Martin Bresnick, Gregory Wanamaker, and Roshanne Etezady (they all have their own websites, feel free to google at your leisure).
And I doubt that instrumentalists (and TRAINED vocalists) will ever be less respected. Quite the opposite in fact. As digital music becomes more prominent, trained musicians will be more respected for their physical and emotional abilities, and revered for carrying on long-standing traditions.
As a former sax player myself I do understand how you can say that the arts are not being upheld as a major form of expression in schools but now that I am older and am a master’s student I realize that music isn't the most important thing to learn. I now wish I would have taken a foreign language because they substituted band as your elective. This would have served me well now. Also people don't usually go on to make music their life and some never pick up their instrument after their school years. Music is a Catch 22, I certainly appreciate it but it isn't necessary.
C.L. Dole
Music is definitely something that still needs to be taught. I know some people who would have nothing meaningful in their lives if it weren't for music.
And how many people do you know? I do agree it enriches parts of our lives but it isn't useful unless you go into the music busniess. However if you were to take spanish or learn latin it would be useful throughout, not just in one area. This is the same problem with Universities they make you take things that aren't useful to your major and it is something you will never use again.
C.L. Dole
Can you clarify your statement for me please? Are you saying that music shouldn't be taught to someone who doesn't plan on going into music business?
What I'm saying is that other skills can be better learned. Like applied physics or more history classes. Something that will enhance our future and get us ready for the real world.
C.L. Dole
I'm not sure I see how applied physics are relevant for a majority of people. Yes history is important and I support your arguement that there should be more of those classes.
Your statement that it should be something that enhances our future...well, this again can be directly applied to my arguement for music. What could better enhance our future than a passion and appreciation for music?
That doesn't mean music shouldn't be taught. It's one of those subjects that will actually enhance your learning of other disciplines. Those who study music statistically do better in other classes. Yes, those other classes are important, but no one's saying that only music should be taught, merely that it should be encouraged as an elective or extra-curricular activity.
~C
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But shouldn't music at least be offered? That doesn't mean anybody had to take it- only if they wanted.
I'm surprised that you were allowed to substitute band for a foreign language in school C.L. Dole. I'm from New York State and I know (at least in this state) that foreign language is mandatory for graduation. Everyone is required to take a foreign language regents (in either Spanish, French, or German) just like Math, Science, or English. Again, my experience is in New York State, but Band or Chorus were always electives.
I'm from Texas and two years of a foreign language are required to graduate.
I suppose now it is but when I was in high school it wasn't
C.L. Dole
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~C
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Yes, the problem is that 2 years of a less-than-enthusiastically taught foreign language class aren't remotely enough be functional in another language.
I discuss the subject in my site www.prekspanish.com
Without several hours a week of other teachers, parents, etc. hammering aspects of the foreign language on you, the foreign language class becomes some kind of weekly nuisance during which you learn next to nothing.
It is not the same as with teaching the so-called "hard" sciences, which are more structured around cumulative knowledge and do not depend so much on interaction.
in my district, fine arts counts as music, art, and drama. Our district requires one credit of fine arts but some students take 4 years of fine arts. Sometimes music helps people learn. I learn better listening to music than i do just learning. Our district requires us to have at least two years of a foreign language credit. Those who take more than that can earn college credit. There are special scholarships for fine arts if you know where to look.
personally i love band. it is a brilliant program and wins our school many awards. our bandroom is covered in trophies and awards and thousands of people come to watch the marching band perform. i am really depressed to hear that band, orchestra, and color guard are the ones that are always on the chopping block. at our school it might be a possibility that within 5 years we will not have a music program. it depresses me becase bandos usually get the best grades and school and have a better work ethic than most kids in school. i will be sad the day music is taken out of school. we need band it is a future job and schools need to think of it more as an achademic class because not everyone can play an instrument well
~ <3 Breanne <3 ~
I really enjoyed this blog... You just scraped the surface of what music can do. I play 3 instruments and have been playing since I was about 8. I hope you continue to write mroe blogs about the music.
We seriously need to speak out about this. Music education is indeed dwindling...
I think colleges are ok. But the small attention that high school music programs get is ridiculous. At my high school, the highlights always seem to revolve around sports and academics.
yes its sad that high school doesnt even notice the music program. especially at my school. we always get mad whenever the announcements say dance team got 8th place this weekend or wrestling got third. we always go yea well we got sweepstakes (1st place) at acrcadia over all and have traveled all over the world to play because other countries invite us to come place for them and perform. Schools need to stop ignoring the music program because what they are doing is brilliant and it takes a lot of effort and disipline to play and instrument well and march down a field, sit down and memorize a 20 min song, run down a field spinning a 6 foot flag in time to the music and tossing it in the air, or playing classical music in a symphony.
~ <3 Breanne <3 ~