“Music is an essential part of everything we do. Like puppetry, music has an abstract quality which speaks to a worldwide audience in a wonderful way that nourishes the soul.” ~ Jim Henson, television producer and puppeteer

Did you know that March is National Music in Our Schools Month? It began as a single statewide celebration in 1973 and has grown into a month-long celebration of school music, according to the National Association for Music Education Web site (www.menc.org). MENC was started to raise awareness of the importance of music education in schools.

So why is music important? It is first important to view music as part of the curriculum and not as an extra-curricular activity. Music is important because it teaches students critical social skills. It is also known to improve math and reading skills because of the focus on learning rhythms and decoding notes. Studying music also encourages self-discipline and diligence, which positively affect study habits. Listed below are other benefits of music education:

• Students of the music learn craftsmanship as they study how details are put together painstakingly and what constitutes good, as opposed to mediocre, work.
• Music provides children with a means of self-expression.
• Music study develops skills that are necessary in the workplace.
• Music performance teaches young people to conquer fear and to take risks.
• Through music study, students learn the value of sustained effort to achieve excellence and the concrete rewards of hard work.

source: http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/

So what can you do? Continue to support the schools in your area and their musical programs. Get involved with your state leadership and assist with developing policies and programs that support music programs. Music and the arts in education are not a side note; they are an integral part of a student’s education and the benefits and long-term effects are numerous and positive.

Happy learning!

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 29th, 2008 at 8:47 am and is filed under Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.