THE POWER OF MUSIC EDUCATION
Guitar study
"Studies have shown that guitar programs enhance school music programs by offering a more complete arts education and that guitar programs attract students who might not otherwise participate in organized music education in the schools." -GAMA website, www.discoverguitar.com, 2002
Increase in SAT scores
"There is a direct correlation between improved SAT scores and the length of time spent studying the arts. College-bound seniors who’d had school music experience scored 52 points higher on the verbal portion of their SATs and 37 points higher in math (89 points combined) than those without arts instruction." -Profiles of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, 1998
Improvement of skills across the curriculum
"Studies have linked active music making with better language and math ability, improved school grades, better-adjusted social behavior, and improvements in 'spatial-temporal reasoning'." -American Music Conference, 2001
Teaching the habit of excellence
"The offerings in music history, music theory, and arts history seem to me a rich and enviable component for a secondary school." -Stanford University Admissions Officer
Preparation of youth for the future
"As a chief executive of a technology company that thrives on creativity, I want to work with people whose imaginations have been unleashed and who tackle problems as challenges rather than see them as obstacles. An education enriched by the creative arts should be considered essential for everyone." -John Sculley, former Chairman/CEO, Apple Computers, Inc.
Music for every child
"Because music is a basic expression of human culture, every student should have access to a balanced, comprehensive, and sequential program of study in music." -National Standards for Arts Education, 1994 by Music Educators National Conference (MENC)
Understanding of one’s self and others expands with arts education
Self-concept is positively enhanced through the arts, as are language acquisition, cognitive development, critical-thinking ability and social skills.
Employment preparation
Arts education aids achievement of core competencies needed for employment. Thinking creatively, problem solving, exercising individual responsibility, sociability, and self-esteem are all traits that prospective employers look for.
National employer studies rank communication skills as the second most important factor in hiring.
The arts can transform the classroom environment, making learning a lively, invigorating experience. With their emphasis on creative discovery and their ability to stimulate a variety of learning styles, the arts engender enthusiasm and motivation for learning. The arts also teach discipline, the value of sustained effort to achieve excellence, and the concrete rewards of hard work. All these factors can encourage higher attendance and decrease drop-out rates.
High-risk students helped through the arts
Many students find that the arts help them master academic skills. Drawing helps writing. Song and poetry make facts memorable. Drama makes history more vivid and real. Creative movement makes processes understandable. This is doubly true for the high-risk student, who often excels for the first time in an arts program.
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