FEDERAL STIMULUS PACKAGE FOR THE ARTS IS MUSIC TO STUDENTS’ EARS
Posted June 12th, 2009 by adminThere is a promising piece of news out of Washington this month: when it comes to funding for music, the Obama Administration is singing a refreshingly new tune.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior has just approved a bill that sets the annual budgets for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities at $170 million each for the 2010 fiscal year, $15 million more than the current appropriation.
That’s a giant leap from just a decade ago when the Republicans slashed the budget for the arts by 40 percent to $99.5 million in 1996 and 1997, cuts that drastically reduced music and arts programs in public schools and communities across America. State and private funding also declined over the past few years as recession hit local governments and philanthropic organizations.
The new injection of money came on the heels of a campaign by a nonprofit group, Americans for the Arts, http://www.artsusa.org, who urged the Congress in March of this year to boost funding for the arts. Renowned jazz musician Wynton Marsalis lent his support in an impassioned plea to Congress.
“All around the world, music links generations old and young, and cultures near and far,” he said. “So, it’s critical for the nation to reevaluate its priorities during this financial crisis to ensure the best aspects of American culture aren’t lost to younger generations because of scarce funding.”
It is not yet clear how much of the newly appropriated funds will trickle down to local school districts, but at least it looks like the lawmakers on Capital Hill are finally hitting the right notes.
All the more so because there is an abundance of scientific and anecdotal evidence to suggest that music is a vitally important part of our lives. For example:
• Middle and high school students who participated in instrumental music performances scored significantly higher than their non-band peers in standardized tests. (University of Sarasota Study)
• Music training helps under-achievers. Students lagging behind in scholastic performance caught up to their fellow students in reading and surpassed their classmates in math by 22% when given music instruction over seven months. (Nature, May 23, 1996)
• The College Entrance Examination Board found that students in music appreciation scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on math than students with no arts participation. (College-Bound Seniors National Report. “Profile of SAT Program Test Takers. Princeton, NJ.” The College Entrance Examination Board, 2001)
Compelling evidence, isn’t it, but wait – there is more! Beyond the purely academic benefits, the National Institutes of Health say music can also considerably reduce our stress and pain levels.
If you are interested in learning more about the importance of music education, check out these sites:
http://www.schoolmusicmatters.com/
http://www.vh1savethemusic.com/
This is great news to the kids. There are many talents out there that are not given any chance, and therefore wastes there incredible talent because they have never been nurtured in the first place!
Comment by elfenliedagain — June 26, 2009 @ 12:14 pm
Stop playing up the “enrichment” aspect and play up the “makes kids smarter and better” aspect. Even a NASCAR dad would want his kid’s math scores to improve, and if music does it, go for it. Shouldn’t be that hard to put across.
Comment by driver — June 28, 2009 @ 4:06 pm