How often does the average student listen to music in one day- the odds are at least a couple of hours a day. Music is a part of everyone’s daily life; it’s easily accessible on smart phones, in the car, and in public buildings. Music has various benefits besides being a source of entertainment. It improves standardized test scores, develops teamwork skills, and boosts a person’s memory. Music education programs will greatly improve a student’s life inside and outside of the classroom. All students should be required to take a music class throughout their entire school careers in order to enhance their academic, social, and cognitive skills.

Music education is studying and learning music, which includes learning how to play an instrument, acquiring various knowledge about music, and studying other classes involved in music programs. There are two forms of music education- informal and formal. According to Green, the author of How Popular Musicians Learn: A Way Ahead for Music Education, informal music education “may be both conscious and unconscious,” (16). Informal music education can be learned through environmental influences such as family and friends. Formal music education is the “instrumental and classroom music teachers’ practices of teaching, training, and of being taught,” (Green 16). Music is an important aspect in a student’s life, yet when it comes to school budgets, music is the first budget to decrease, (Catterall). Budget cuts have been made in music programs because they are deemed unnecessary for a student’s academic achievement in school. For most school systems, there will be “no music specialists serving elementary schools by” 2015, (Catterall). Elementary school is a critical learning point in a student’s life because in kindergarten through fifth grade, students are still developing mentally, thus the capacity to learn is at an all-time high. Cutting music education from the school’s budget negatively effects students from low-income families because they cannot afford private lessons that students from wealthy families can afford. A school’s mission is for all students to have equal opportunities and due to budget cuts in the music programs, most children are deprived of a proper music education. This negatively impacts the student because they are unable to find their possible passion in life. A school’s purpose is for students to be able to find a sense of self. By cutting music budgets, students are deprived from trying something new, possibly a new and unique passion. This also denies students a platform of self-expression. Many schools cut their music programs due to the “major funding cuts by state governments struggling to balance their budgets during the economic downturn,” (Hawkins). Balancing budgets in school systems is a major problem, since most schools only consider academics to be vital to a student’s success. 

In order for the current state of music education to grow, school systems must increase art funds to match academic budgets. This provides each student with an equal opportunity to participate in a music program that is properly funded and equipped with teachers and other various resources. Although this is costly to most school systems, matching both budgets create positive long-term benefits for the student. By cutting budgets, schools are unable to pay teachers, resulting in many losing their jobs. In order to save the school some money, this issue can be solved by recruiting volunteers to help teach children how to play musical instruments and learn about other elements of music. Rather than relying on public funds, such as taxes, schools can fundraise and receive money from private sponsors and funds in order to boost the budget. Fundraising creates a strong sense of community surrounding the school since a portion of the funds will be supplied by the public, who support the school programs and system. Although school systems will decrease their academic budgets in order for both music and academics to have equal budgets, music programs will benefit students’ academic careers. According to Catterall, the author of the Consequences of Curtailing Music Education, “music boosts academics,” by increasing spatial and mathematical skills. Music education will boost the student’s academic and cognitive skills, leading to better performance in school. 

All schools want their students to succeed academically in order for them to obtain a profitable and enjoyable occupation in the future. Most jobs require a college degree. In order for students to be accepted into college, high schoolers need to perform well on standardized tests, such as the SAT. Not only do standardized tests help students get into college, but the scores improve the high school’s rankings in the nation, thus benefitting the school system as a whole. According to a study by Christopher Johnson, a professor at the University of Kansas for music education and therapy, regardless of socioeconomic status, “students in elementary schools with superior music education programs scored around 22 percent higher in English and 20 percent higher in math scores on standardized tests,” (Brown). Music furthers reading and math achievements in schools, thus boosting the students’ necessary and fundamental skills as well as enhancing the school’s performance and rankings. A study conducted by College Board discovered “that students who take four years of arts and music classes while in high school score 91 points better on their SAT exams than students who took only a half year or less,” (Hawkins). Scoring ninety-one points higher on the SAT exam can be a deciding factor in a student’s college choice. Having higher SAT scores also increases a student’s likelihood of receiving scholarships, which enables more students to be able to attend colleges and universities. There is a positive association in academic achievement among both children and adolescents, whether students are involved in music programs inside or outside of school, (Roscigno and Southgate).  Improvements in standardized tests scores allow students to be well-prepared for college and future professions, since they are a measure of the student’s future prediction of their performance in college. 

Another academic benefit to having music education taught to every student is that music is linked to an increase in language comprehension. Music education enhances the natural ability to “decode sounds and words,” (Brown). According to a study at the Children’s Music Workshop, “musical training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language,” (Brown). Language development is crucial to a student’s school career in order to prepare them for their future occupations. Being able to speak competently and effectively allows the student to perform better in school and in the work place. Having enhanced diction will allow the student to be a great asset to any future job. Enhanced diction will provide them with an advantage in college, specifically with writing essays, as well as in any future professional scenario, whether it be writing proposals or speaking in front of large audiences. Communication skills will also transfer over to their future careers because most students are unable to speak and write professionally and effectively. Music enhances the student’s language comprehension, which sets them apart from other students.

Music education increases neural activity in the brain and improves student IQ levels. This cognitive advantage benefits the student’s academic performance in school by making more neural connections in the brain. Increasing neural activity allows the student to process and understand complex situations more efficiently. In a study conducted by E. Glenn Schellenberg, “the children who were given music lessons over the school year tested on average three IQ points higher than the other groups,” (Brown). Although three IQ points does not seem drastic, it will greatly improve the efficiency and academic abilities of the student. This allows a student to explore new avenues that would not be available to students with lower IQ scores. For example, increased IQ is correlated with higher SAT scores, which is associated with more college acceptances for students. 

Music education improves a student’s cognitive skills by increasing spatiotemporal skills and visuo-spatial abilities, (Črnčec). Spatiotemporal relates to space and time abilities, while visuo-spatial relates to visual and space skills. According to an experiment by Ellen Winner, “the students who received music instruction had improved sound discrimination and fine motor tasks,” (Brown). Enhanced fine motor skills allow the student to draw and write, which are vital tools to have in school and in society. Discriminating between different sounds is the ability to hear and categorize various sounds. This skill is crucial in communication because it allows student to hear the individual and distinct sounds in different words. According to Brown, an increase in spatial intelligence helps with visualizing problems, which allows the student the ability to solve problems more efficiently and effectively.

Music education is not an isolated program and it definitely relates back to learning and academics. According to Kenneth Guilmartin, who is the cofounder of Music Together, “music learning supports all learning… [and] it’s a very integrating, stimulating pastime or activity,” (Brown). Music is not only an escape for students and a platform for self-expression, but it is integrated with academics. Music and academics are linked together and both of their curriculums aid and support one another. According to Catterall, “music contributes to thinking skills and dispositions that show up in cognitive measures,” such as spatial and mathematical abilities and intelligence. Enriching student’s thinking abilities greatly improves their ability to perform well on academic and business tasks.

By playing an instrument, a person’s brain benefits greatly, by activating all parts of the brain at once, especially the visual, auditory, and motor cortexes. This combines the left hemisphere’s linguistic and mathematical aspects with the right hemisphere’s creative characteristics to increase the capacity of the corpus callosum, (Collins). This is extremely beneficial to a student’s success academically. Activating all parts of the brain at once allows the student to be able to efficiently complete school work and other tasks because all parts of the student’s brain are being utilized. Music aids and enhances a student both academically and creatively, thus strengthening the bond between the two sides of the brain. Children improve their auditory skills by being able to identify pitch and complex sounds better than students who have not played an instrument. Because of an early music education and enhanced genetics, some students have the ability to identify any tone, or in other words they may have perfect pitch, (Klass). When playing an instrument, a student must tune to the correct notes in order to sound melodic and to be able to blend with the band. Participating and playing in the band exposes the student to various pitches and notes, thus having better hearing than students who do not participate in the band. This enhances a student’s learning abilities because they are able to identify various pitches in sound and words. 

Playing an instrument has positive benefits other than an increase in cognitive abilities. Musicians have higher levels in the executive function, including strategizing, planning, and attention to detail; and an increase in memory, (Collins). Strategizing, organizing, and paying attention to miniscule details allows the student to complete assignments effectively and efficiently. These are beneficial qualities to have in the workplace as well in order to successfully complete business tasks and projects. This will make the student stand out to the teacher or to a future employer. Music education improves time management and organization skills, (Brown). Managing time efficiently in school is a daunting task because it is difficult to remain focused throughout the day. Music is a platform that provides students with time management skills because participating in these classes require strict time constraints due to deadlines such as concerts. Students who have access to music programs have more inspiration and motivation. Having access to music programs allow students to execute tasks more easily than students who do not participate in music programs due to the increase in inspiration for ideas and motivation to complete tasks and assignments. 

Most students in middle and high school have an identity crisis at some point throughout their school career. This is when an adolescent is trying to figure out who they are as a person and who they want to become. Music is a great platform for self-expression and self-understanding, (Brown). Most adolescents suffer from trying to find out who they are as a person while in school, thus having music programs are a great source for self-expression. Music programs are an escape from everyday life and allow the student to discover themselves freely and without judgement. Music is a useful medium to be able to express your emotions, whether the student is feeling upset or overjoyed, playing an instrument provides them with a platform of expressing their feelings. Music is an extremely powerful medium to express emotions and ideas. Music education allows students a place to “express themselves and channel negative emotion into something positive,” (Hawkins). Listening to music enhances emotional well-being and also provides students with a better way to manage pain and stress, (McFerran & Rickard 207). When I am upset or stressed about school or work, I beat on my snare drum or cowbell in order to channel my negative emotions into a positive and healthy platform. Music has been my own form of escape from the stresses of school and other aspects of my life such as work and my family. 

I played percussion in my school’s band throughout my school career from fifth to twelfth grade and participated in multiple music clubs ranging from steel band to pep-band.  Participating in the music program at my school for most of my school career has taught me cooperation, teamwork, and patience. I developed these qualities because as a band, we played as a team and we had to cooperate and communicate with each other effectively and efficiently.  Although playing in a band is a team effort, it has taught me leadership skills. I was section leader of percussion my last year of high school, thus I had a multitude of responsibilities ranging from assigning parts, organizing the section, and making sure the section was prepared for our concerts and other performances. I also made friendships and connections with people in the band that I would not have made if it was not for the music program bringing us together. I began playing in the fifth grade and met one of my best friends in that percussion group. To this day we are still really close friends even though there are now five hundred miles separating us. I made a lifetime worth of memories by participating in the band and was given opportunities to perform twice in Walt Disney World, in Orlando Florida. 

While there are numerous positive aspects to music education, there are some drawbacks. According to McDaniel, who wrote “Negatives of Music in School,” music education is extremely expensive due to the large sum of instruments required. Music education is also a distraction from academics because students spend too much time practicing their instruments rather than studying or completing homework, (McDaniel). Music programs also require an enormous amount of space for practicing and for their concerts, according to McDaniel. However, these negative aspects of music education can be improved by increasing the budget and receiving money from other sponsors rather than relying on public funds. Playing an instrument helps the student learn time management and balance between music and academics. 

Although increasing budgets in order to fully sustain the music programs in schools have a negative impact on the school’s overall budget, improving a student’s overall academic, cognitive, and social skills outweigh the negative effects on the economy. Since students will be better equipped when they get out of high school and college, they will be able to obtain more lucrative occupations, thus increasing disposable income that will be put back into the economy to refuel it. Music programs should be required in school due to the positive effects on a student’s life socially, cognitively, and academically.
