Since the recession of 2008, states have been forced to make budget cuts, including extremely large cuts to the education systems. Some deficits have been as large as $14 million dollars, like The Learning Center, a high school in Pennsylvania. As schools throughout the country began to trim the edges of their spending, they were forced to make difficult decisions on what was academically rigorous yet still cost effective. Many argued that the first thing to cut is the music and art departments. As this debate blossomed, the overall opinion became music is just too expensive and had little benefit to students' education. Although music is no longer defined as a standardized subject, it should not be cut from schools due to the cognitive benefits, the overall enhancement of student's moods, and the improvements in standardized testing

Music education is often overlooked on the capability to affect cognitive development. Since music is often taught in late elementary on through high school, many believe that cognitive abilities cannot be developed at that point. In a recent article, Lauren Lewis Brown provides evidence of the cognitive benefits of music education. She explains that "musical training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language" (Brown). The Broca's area, the part of the brain that does process language, is crucial in comprehension. When a student learns music, they are able to train and develop their Broca's area faster than those not trained in music. Not only is the Broca's area affected, Brown argues that "music learning supports all learning" (Brown). In order to make music, children learn to multitask, whether it is playing the piano with both hands, singing and reading music, or listening while playing. Multiple skill sets are used often at the same time. 

Anita Collins, in her recent Ted Talk titled "What if every child had access to music education from birth?", discusses the results neuroscientists found when studying musicians brains. She notes that the neuroscientists discovered that "literally {musician's} brains looked different, and functioned differently. And in some cases far more effectively" (Collins). She then elaborates with the multitude of experiments done to note the difference between musicians and non musician's abilities to do specific tasks. Among many other things noted by the neuroscientists, they discovered that "musicians have a larger Corpus Callosum across the two hemispheres of the brain, which allows the messages to travel far more quickly and in very creative pathways" (Collins). Not only does music aid in the processing aspect of brain cognition, but it also helps with creativity. Neuroscientists found that "musicians were able to solve puzzles and problems far more effectively and creatively" (Collins). Scientists were able to definitively find the difference between musician's brains and non musician's brains. 

Glenn Schellenberg did a study recently on the intellectual benefits of music lessons, finding that "music lessons cause improvements in intellectual ability" (Schellenberg). Not only did Schellenberg discover this connection between music lessons and intellectual ability, but he was also able to find that "the effects of musical training on intellectual abilities are long lasting and distinct from those of nonmusical out-of-school activities" (Schellenberg). So music education has long term affects outside the classroom. When analyzed, music training helped improve multiple abilities including "focused attention and concentration, memorization, reading music, fine-motor skills, and expressing emotions" (Schellenberg). Brain development is crucial in education, and often considered the most important part of the education system.When there is so clearly evidence of the impact music education has on cognitive development, how could this class be considered no longer a necessity. A popular argument is that after elementary school, how much further can cognitive abilities grow? Well Schellenberg addresses this as well, noting that the musical training has a "larger impact with a longer period of training" (Schellenberg). Through his studies of children and undergraduates, he was able to compare the impact on abilities short term and long term. But it is important to understand that "Music can improve your child' abilities in learning and other nonmusic tasks, but it's important to understand that music does not make one smarter" (Brown). Improved cognitive abilities do not equal intelligence, but they give opportunity to students to learn things faster. It takes strong cognitive abilities to learn and develop, and music can be a major component in growing those abilities. When debating the essential component of music education in the school system, the fact is, music helps students develop intellectually. The cognitive development is large enough that music should not be defunded in school systems.

Often considered the least important aspect of a curricular class, impact on student's mood is a major pro of keeping music in schools. In personal experience, it is noted that music was often the favorite class period of the day. When surveying students, many considered it their "break" in the day, a chance to just enjoy things and work on music.  In a common core education, students are often highly stressed, focused only on the work that must be done in order to master a skill enough to pass a test. almost all college students can reflect on a time in their education, primary or secondary, in which they were overwhelmed by work. Music is one of the few courses in primary school that does not add to that stress level, instead gives an outlet of stress relief, while also having major benefits. Anita Collins addresses this issue in her recent Ted talk through a series of "what if" questions. A key question she asks is "what if, that activity, unlike the momentary pain of a vaccination needle, was actually enjoyable for everyone involved?" (Collins). She later defines that activity as music education. Her focus of her thesis is the fact that there are many benefits to music education, but more specifically brain development. She delves into experiments done by neuroscientists to track the capabilities of musicians brains. When the neuroscientists had the subjects listen to music, "they saw fireworks. they had never seen so many areas of the brain light up at the same time" (Collins). Just from listening to music, there was major brain cognition going on. If students have this every day, through a class period of music education, they can get their mind "going" to help them remain unstressed as their course load increases. 

When someone works out, their body releases endorphins, often making them feel more productive and in a better mood. Music does the same thing comparatively, working out different components of the brain, making other tasks seem simpler and improving an overall mood. In a special called Music and Memory, a study is performed on alzheimer patients. When a man with dementia, Henry, is given an iPod with his favorite music on it, he is transformed into a nearly coherent man once again. Dr. Oliver Sacks, a neurologist, studies and explains the amazing reaction this man has when he is able to sing along to music from his time (Youtube). Sacks then explains the brain's ability to respond to memories and Henry is able to remember personal information and sing an entire different song from his childhood. The brain reacts to the music, releasing endorphins and somewhat "rebooting" itself, long enough for Henry to communicate once again. 

David Gadberry, in his Kodaly Research Connections paper, analyzes the survey results of parents and educators of musicians. He notes that parents reported benefits of music education including "stronger self worth, creativity, and fewer hours of television". When surveying the educators, they reported "similar effects of choral participation, such as increased self-confidence, better memory, and enhanced creativity" (Gadberry). This shows that music education has an impact on personal feelings as well as brain development. Self confidence and self worth are such important components in an education system that often can be difficult to teach in a classroom. The ability to prove students their worth through song is enough to keep music in schools. In today's society, everyone feels judged by everything, and students not only deserve the opportunity to learn their own self worth, but also have an outlet to any feelings they may have. Music is often considered an outlet, whether it is listening or performing.

Not only are music programs being removed from curriculum, but schools are moving to a testing focused plan, more specifically Common Core. Common Core is defined as "academic standards" that are set for each grade level to learn and meet by the end of a school year. Due to the strict guidelines given by common core, the education system is reprioritizing, putting music at the bottom of the list. Now even more people are able to argue the "lack of reason" for music, since it is not a component that is tested on in standardized testing. But through research it has been seen that those with music education tend to not only test higher on cognitive tests, but also on standardized testing. In a recent study called "Selected Demographic Variables, School Music Participation, and Achievement Test Scores of Urban Middle School Students" by Daryl Kinney of Ohio State University, the progress of student achievement scores was evaluated. Although Kinney also looked into different variables including family values and ethnicity, he did emphasize the impact of ensemble participation and its correlation to higher test scores. When looking at the 6th grade cohorts, "band students scored significantly higher than nonparticipants on all subtests of the 6th grade proficiency test" (Kinney). This evidence was seen also in the improvement of scores for the 8th grade cohort. Those who participated in band had scores that soared over those who did not participate in ensembles. This evidence was not only produced through an experiment, but Kinney used other factors to cycle out this specific conclusion. The research found that "3-7% is being attributed to ensemble participation" (Kinney). Meaning there is still a heavy prevalence in the environment students are raised in, but music does make an impact on standardized testing. Although 3%-7% may seem minute to some, when testing into higher level education, that 7% can be the difference between a full ride and only partial scholarship. This study ultimately supports the "inclusion of performing ensembles in urban middle school curricula" (Kinney). The statistics do no lie, and the impact of ensemble participation can be blatantly seen. Involving students in ensembles during middle school gives the students opportunity to truly flourish. In a society where test scores matter most, why not take every chance you can to improve these scores.

In a more holistic perspective, the standardized testing helps students get into their dream universities, to learn and earn a degree and help them find a career. Research done by Whitworth University discovered students who continued music throughout high school had higher GPA's and standardized test scores upon entering college than the general freshman class. Although there is a stigma that music majors might have "inflated GPA's" due to a different kind of course load, but this "punches a hole in that myth, too, because these results were mixed between music and nonmusic majors" (Olson). This debunks the idea that just music majors have increased GPA's in college, when this study actually acknowledges all majors. An exit survey was given to a graduating class of the music department at Neuqua Valley High School which noted how many musicians received scholarships going into college and what they were studying. These 120 students involved in music received over 2.88 million dollars worth of scholarships, while only 6% of students were planning on pursuing a music related major. 1/3 of students received scholarships of $20,000 or greater, and attending 68 different universities (Rimmington). Students had obvious impacts from music that continued on outside of the music room. Based on these statistics, more students involved in music achieved enough academically to receive major scholarship, than people who wanted to pursue a music major. In order to even receive scholarships, one must apply with high credentials like a high GPA and/or high test scores. 

The reality is, cuts are being made in school districts. In Johnston City, Illinois, the school districts cut $900,000 in one year alone (Mariano). But it is important to realize that music is still worthy of being a component of the school day. Luckily, in some states there is a minimum arts requirement. For example. in Illinois, "to graduate from high school, students must complete at least one year of either art, music, a foreign language or vocational education" (Mariano). This is a start of keeping music within the schools, but there will continue to be a fight to keep it in schools. Many believe that core courses are just more important, that schools do not need music, since it is just a fun filler course. This is an interesting concept considering in many societies, music is an essential part of the culture. Matthew Thibeault explains this comparison noting that "there are many cohorts where participation is so broad that the term musician is redundant" (Thibeault). If music is such an important part of so many cultures, it should be included in schools at least in its historic importance. Music educators have the opportunity to teach more than just notes on a page and this is a major advantage to keeping music in schools. Learning different genres and time periods of music teach history and respect of other nations. Educators can bring students together no matter their heritage with different "participatory music, such as the Sacred Harp singing to New England contra dance" (Thibeault). There are more benefits than consequences in keeping music education in school system.

Although music is no longer defined as a standardized subject, it should not be cut from schools due to the academic benefits, the improvement in standardized testing, and the overall enhancement of student's moods. This argument is worthy of being discussed because as education becomes more of a conversation in politics and the price people pay to attend school, budget cuts will be even more present. There are already major budget cuts in most school districts throughout the country, and the debate on whether the art and music departments should be continued is currently happening. Even in the strongest music programs, districts are forced to cut out major components. Research has shown some areas where music is cut completely. As a musician, this is extremely bothersome and must be discussed and changed. Music education has so many benefits, the increased cognitive development, the ability to impact a student's mood and the improvements in standardized testing. These reasons should be enough to keep music in schools.

