Friday, October 7, 2011

12 Benefits of Music Education

Some people may wonder why music education is important.  I found a great article that lists 12 reasons why music education is important.  The article was written by Carolyn Phillips, Former Executive Director of the Norwalk Youth Symphony, CT.  The full article can be found HERE.

1.  Early musical training helps develop brain areas involved in language and reasoning.

2.  There is also a causal link between music and spatial intelligence (the ability to perceive the world accurately and to form mental pictures of things).

3.  Students of the arts learn to think creatively and to solve problems by imagining various solutions, rejecting outdated rules and assumptions. Questions about the arts do not have only one right answer.

4.  Recent studies show that students who study the arts are more successful on standardized tests such as the SAT. They also achieve higher grades in high school.

5.  A study of the arts provides children with an internal glimpse of other cultures and teaches them to be empathetic towards the people of these cultures.

6.  Students of music learn craftsmanship as they study how details are put together painstakingly and what constitutes good, as opposed to mediocre, work.

7.  In music, a mistake is a mistake; the instrument is in tune or not, the notes are well played or not, the entrance is made or not. It is only by much hard work that a successful performance is possible.

8.  Music study enhances teamwork skills and discipline.

9.  Music provides children with a means of self-expression. Now that there is relative security in the basics of existence, the challenge is to make life meaningful and to reach for a higher stage of development.

10.   Music study develops skills that are necessary in the workplace. It focuses on "doing," as opposed to observing, and teaches students how to perform, literally, anywhere in the world.

11.  Music performance teaches young people to conquer fear and to take risks.

12.  An arts education exposes children to the incomparable.

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