If somebody was to ask what the most important thing in the world is, what would the answer be? Would it be money, or possession? Would it be religion and faith? Those are all nice things, but there is nothing more important than children. Our bodies are programmed to cater to a child's every need, and specifically women are anatomically built in a way that allows them to birth and care for a child. When we want to improve something there's one go-to thing that seems to always do the job, and that is music. Whether it's a movie, a television show, a sporting event, or a commencement ceremony, music is almost always used to make things better. In line with that thinking, why is it that when we decide we want to improve education, or the minds and well being of our children, we take music away? Music has been shown to have an enormous positive impact on children of all age, let alone adults, that's will stay with them and last for a lifetime. By observing the actual first hand experiences of school teachers and administrators, as well as scientific facts relating to music and children, we can conclude that music is an extremely vital and beneficial part of any person's education and childhood, and should be funded in public schools in order to allow children to experience these effects. 

The first point of view I would like to address is a scientific one. It is often argued that music is good for kids, and there is legitimate research and data available to support those arguments. In an academic journal written by Luiz R. Carrer, he claims that music, with its playful, spontaneous, affective, motivational, temporal and rhythmic dimensions can be of great help for studying the aspects of time processing in ADHD, as well as greatly helping children who have ADHD. "ADHD involves cognitive and behavioral aspects with impairments in many environments of children and their families' lives" (Carrer 13-14), and the children often suffer because of this. The study conducted used music to analyze the performance of children with ADHD in different situations. The way music is used here far surpasses the ways that most people think of music. The audio samples and techniques being used in the study were, and still are, helping scientists and doctors develop treatments and medications for children with ADHD. On top of that it allows them to learn more about what goes on inside the mind of a child, and discover new ways to help the children and improve their quality of life. The research and studies being conducted to develop these new methods of treatment showcase how music is more important than people consider it, and without music in schools the adults conducting these events would've never been given the capacity to do so.

Music can also help children with disabilities or trouble learning in a more direct way. Specifically, participating in music lessons can be of great help to children with dyslexia who tend to lose focus when there are loud noises around them, according to DoSomething.org. Being exposed to and creating music allows the children to acclimate to an environment filled with sound, and allows them to develop the ability to maintain focus in playing music, as well as non-musical tasks, when there are loud sounds or noises around them. Music can also help in a similar way for children with bad memories or lacking brain development according to The National Association for Music Education, "Young children who take music lessons show different brain development and improved memory over the course of a year, compared to children who do not receive musical training."

 In addition to these disabilities, music can also help with mental health issues developed over time, such as substance abuse. The VH1 Save The Music Foundation conducted research on secondary school students, and found that secondary (high school) students who participated in a music group at school reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs). There are several reasons that music has this effect on people, some being very clear and obvious, and others that are often unnoticed. The first reason is the time commitment involved in playing music, which starts to become a major part of your free time when you reach high school. A student who has band practice after school three of four days a week, football games on Friday night, and competitions all day on Saturday, is much less likely to get into trouble or get involved with things that they shouldn't, because they simply wont have time to. Another reason is what music does for a person's mental health. Playing music gives students a great outlet for their stress and a time to be away from things that worry them. Also, the mental challenge of attempting to succeed at a musical activity teaches students a good work ethic, and that good things come to those who are willing to work hard and do things the right way. 

Music also has a profound effect on student's participation and performance in school activities not related to music. In a study by the Arete Music Academy it was found that Children who study music tend to have larger vocabularies and more advanced reading skills than their peers who do not participate in music lessons. This is because reading music and playing it over trains a child's brain for what it needs to do in order to read and communicate. The children learn to interpret symbols and markings on a page that work in a way similar and relatable to the English language, and the abilities gained from having to do this directly translates to use of language. On top of that it greatly improves memorization skills because you are forced to memorize so many techniques, positions, patterns, symbols, terms, and signals when you participate in a musical ensemble. 

The National Association for Music Education stated in an article they released in 2015 that schools that have music programs have an attendance rate of 93.3% compared to 84.9% in schools without music programs. The reason I believe that this happens is the experience kids have at school. When a student takes a music class, or participate in an ensemble, it gives them a chance to change up the pace of the typical school day. Instead of just sitting at a desk taking notes or doing paperwork they get to actually do something hands on that they enjoy. Giving the children something fun to look forward to at school that's built into the curriculum encourages them to keep good attendance, and makes them look forward to going to school. The short term effect, as already stated, is better attendance and willingness to go to school, but the long term effect is an increased graduation rate. The National Association for Music Education also released a statistic stating that Schools with music programs have an estimated 90.2% graduation rate and 93.9% attendance rate compared to schools without music education, which average 72.9% graduation and 84.9% attendance. Not only are students involved in music programs more likely to attend school, but they are also more likely to follow through and graduate.

Many people take the opposite point of view and argue that core subjects such as math and science are far more important than music classes and funding for such classes. One of the major arguments against music in school is the funding that a music program requires. The biggest expense is hiring a teacher, or teachers to run the music program. "Teachers are the largest expense, accounting for 87 percent of a music pro- gram's costs, says a 2011 study funded by the National Association of Music Merchants" (Barack).

 Another large expense on top of paying one or more teacher is paying for musical equipment and literature. Musical instruments can be very expensive, with prices going up into the thousands, sometimes even several thousand dollars for a single instrument. In addition to the instruments themselves, the programs also have to pay for maintenance and repairs for the instrument, which can also make a sizeable dent in a budget. Literature is also very costly. It's pointless to have musical groups if you don't have music for them to play, and everything from paying for the music from publishers, to the countless copies that have to be made for the students, to running a library to store all of the music, supplying a musical ensemble with a full library of musical literature is not an easy or cheap thing to do. In an article by Byrd McDaniel, Mr. McDaniel says that "These costs quickly add up, which is why cutting school music programs is often one of the first solutions to school budget cuts" (McDaniel).

Another factor that must be taken into consideration is the impact that music has on a child's family. "In addition to costing schools a lot of money, music programs may cost students' parents a great deal of money, because they must buy their students instruments, other supplies or lessons" (McDaniel). A child participating in a school music program requires a lot of commitment from both the child and the family of the child. The time commitment alone for an activity such as marching band is huge. Many extra rehearsals outside of school hours, as well as weekend competitions and football games can take a toll on a family and add stress to their lives.

Arguably the biggest argument against music in school is the effect that participation in music programs has on a child's core education, and their performance in subjects like mathematics, sciences, or history. Any time or effort that a child is putting into music is time or effort that he or she is not spending on those core subjects. Also, having music classes during school could possibly distract students from the subjects they will be tested in. Part of participating in music programs often includes trips and performances that take place during school time, and any time the students spend on these trips or performances is time that they are missing class, and possibly missing an opportunity to learn.

There are ways, however, to solve the problems posed with operating a school music program. The first problem of funding is one that is often assumed to be an unsolvable problem, but by actually examining the facts and logistics many administrators would find that supporting a music program is very feasible. In an article by Lauren Barack she says that "A district can't revive a music program in a day or even a single school year. Decisions, funding and implementation take time --  often several years" (Barack). This is something that many people fail to understand, and is primarily applicable to schools that don't currently have a music program at all. They assume that in order to start a music program they would have to make a huge financial commitment, but this simply isn't the case. computer music suites can sometimes be paid for with technology funds. "For $7,500, a high school can launch a complete music lab with twenty-five software loaded computers that students can use to study composition, arranging, recording and producing" (Barack). Granted, this isn't starting a band or an orchestra, but for only $7,500 (a small fraction of most school's technology budget) an entire student body can be introduced to music and have a reliable way to access music technology and teaching through computerized and video lessons. Also, as far as hiring a music teacher goes, for the vast majority of schools hiring one extra teacher isn't a problem at all, and the rewards that the students will receive from the instruction of a trained musical instructor are invaluable to their well rounded education.

Families that choose to be involved in music become part of a culture of love and support within the musical community. People in marching band, for instance, take care of each other. If somebody needs transportation, or help with something related to school, there will be always be somebody, whether it's an instructor or a classmate, who is there and willing to help. The emotional and social benefits of being involved in something like a marching band are extremely valuable for a developing student and their family. The continued support from everybody else in the program is one of the biggest benefits of being involved with such a program. The music teachers, in particular are incredibly important to this. Music teachers do not get in to the profession for the money. They get in to it because they have a passion for three things, which are music, teaching, and children, and a music teacher who is invested in a program will do anything and everything in their power to help their kids.

When it comes to education, it has been proven many times that music is an important and helpful part of a well rounded education. In an article by Katrin Hille, she says that based on a recent study, Regardless of socioeconomic status or school district, students who participate in high-quality music programs score higher on reading and spelling tests" (Hille). This is because of the way that music forces your brain to work in ways that its not used to, and literally create paths in your brain that were not possible before. According to the Arete Music Academy, students who participate in music programs are "more likely to excel in all of their studies, work better in teams, have enhanced critical thinking skills, stay in school, and pursue further education" (Arete). All of these things, combined with the higher attendance and graduation rates for students in schools with music programs prove that music is indeed a very important part of a well rounded education, and should be included in curriculum so that students can fully take advantage of the benefits that it has to offer.

Funding for different things in schools, and the effects that these things have on education and the minds of children are things that will always be debated. The only way to make sense of any of it is to look at the facts and information that is available at the present time. If we examine this information, as well as the correlating statistics, it can be concluded that music is an incredibly valuable part of education. The ways that it can help your mind develop and expand, as well as help children and even adults with disabilities improve their quality of life is invaluable to the well being and condition of our society and our world. By examining all of these arguments, facts, and counterarguments we can conclude that having music in schools is not always the easiest thing to do, but allowing children to participate and develop within a well funded music program is absolutely necessary in order to ensure quality of life and mind for our current world and generations to come.
