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Why Music Education is Important in our Schools  
In today’s society, musical education is an integral part of our schools. St. Mary C.S.S. offers an excellent music program which helps students excel in their other subjects and excel in life in general. Many scientific studies have proven music to increase one’s intellect, especially in terms of math. Music challenges one to think in terms of fractions, space, and time. For example, in study 21 of neurological research on March 1999, 237 grade two children were given four months of piano training and math software. The children scored 27% higher on proportional math and fractions tests than the students exposed to only the math software. Students who partake in musical studies become better students overall. A study conducted by NELS (National Education Longitudinal Study) said that around 12.14% of a student population can be considered “disruptive”. Disruptive was defined as students who skip class, get into trouble frequently, get suspended, get arrested, or drop out. Only 8.08% of a population of students in a music class are considered disruptive. Studies have also shown that music students are less likely to get involved with substance abuse than other students. Music students also develop communication skills and teamwork when playing in a band or orchestra. Music education allows students to freely express themselves in a manner that is entertaining, educational, and beneficial.
Some Facts About Musical Education
- 85% of respondents either completely or mostly agree that participating in school music corresponds with better grades and test scores.
- Early music training appears to strengthen the connections between brain neurons and perhaps even leading to the establishment of new pathways.
- Dr. Lozanov has proven conclusively that by using certain Baroque pieces, foreign languages can be mastered with 85-100% effectiveness in 30 days, when the usual time is 2 years. Students learning with the Baroque Music were able to recall their second language with nearly 100% accuracy even after they had not studied it for four years!
- After a year, musically trained children performed better in a memory test that is correlated with general intelligence skills such as literacy, verbal memory, mathematics and IQ, reports a Canadian team.
- The Mozart Effect refers specifically to a 1993 research finding by Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw and Katherine Ky and published in the prestigious journal Nature. The scientists found that 36 college students who listened to 10 minutes of a Mozart sonata performed higher on a subsequent spatial-temporal task than after they listened to relaxation instructions or silence.
- The Mozart Effect by Don Campbell, has condensed the world's research on all the beneficial effects of certain types of music. Some of the hundreds of benefits are:
-Improves test scores
-Cuts learning time
-Calms hyperactive children and adults
-Reduces errors
-Improves creativity and clarity
-Heals the body faster
-Integrates both sides of the brain for more efficient learning
- Young children who take music lessons show more advanced brain development and improved memory than those who do not
- Students who were involved in arts education achieved higher SAT scores.
- Secondary students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs.)
- Music is a magical gift we must nourish and cultivate in our children, especially now as scientific evidence proves that an education in the arts makes better math and science students, enhances spatial intelligence in newborns, and lets not forget that the arts are compelling solution to teen violence.
- The very best engineers and technical designers in the Silicon Valley industry are, nearly without exception, practicing musicians.
All Information Found at the Following Links:
http://www.menc.org/information/advocate/facts.html
http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/factsandstatistics.html
http://www.theviolincase.com/Newsletter/Mar05.htm