A Blessing and An Asset: The Case for Music Education
Story by Holt Templeton, photograph by Jack Evans
In an increasingly divided nation and world, we as a people are in need of things that foster unity. “In culture, we build bridges, not walls,” said cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 2019 in Laredo, Texas, to rebuke then-president Donald Trump’s continued construction of a border wall. Music, in particular, has a unique ability to bring people together, perhaps more so than any other medium. In every culture, there is music and, in every culture, people make and listen to music together. From string quartets rehearsing the works of Haydn and Beethoven, to hip-hop producers working together to create a track, music is a collaborative activity. If music brings unity, why then is it being robbed from children in schools?
Around the second half of the 20th century, music became a mainstay in public education. Since 1997, however, its prevalence in schools has steadily declined. According to music educator Joseph Pergola, “Everything except core academic subjects is starting to be considered a perk.” Fortunately, I attended a private school with a nice strings program, and I have since reaped the benefits; playing the cello has significantly enriched my life and provided me with a myriad of opportunities. However, many American students simply do not have that privilege. Since the recession, most music programs have experienced funding cuts or have been phased out altogether.
Music’s absence in schools is felt in the countless benefits of which students are deprived. In addition to being fulfilling and worthwhile in its own right, research shows that music education potentially strengthens the brain’s ability to learn. Notably, music instruction promotes discipline and provides social outlets for students, which is a boon to any human being regardless of field.
Even to the experienced, practicing and performing music is quite difficult—and for good reason. Ostensibly, this difficulty stems from the countless variables the musician is expected to control. These variables include but are not limited to: intonation (the precision of the pitch), dynamics (volume), articulation, phrasing, rhythmic accuracy, and tone production among other elements. Compounded with this is the fact that many musicians sight-read music, adding a spontaneous visual component. All of these factors come together to create a task that is mentally—and oftentimes physically—exhausting. Moreover, this balancing act is reflected in the brain’s activity; playing music stimulates almost every part of the brain, resulting in a synaptic symphony of impulses (Barnes).
This full-body workout comes with benefits, too. Studies show that music education promotes neuroplasticity in students—in other words, learning music strengthens the brain’s ability to learn and change (6 Bugos). In particular, music education appears to positively affect the verbal capabilities of children and adults. As a music student, my aural skills are pushed to its limit as I distinguish pitches, timbres, and dynamics, and I have no doubt that my verbal faculties have seen benefits as well.
The benefits of being a musician are not limited to increases in academic aptitude, however. Learning music fosters the development of discipline as well as a growth mindset. As a cello student, I have learned that any musical task can be overcome with the right approach and enough practice. The ability to learn deliberately is invaluable to a student or professional, and, coincidentally, studying music effectively requires building that exact skill. In addition to discipline, playing music offers social benefits. By playing music together, humans form irrefutable bonds. As music inherently requires participants to work together, its education is an excellent promotion of cooperation, which is itself a highly sought-after skill.
Beyond the aforementioned benefits to other areas, music is worthwhile and valuable unto itself. Learning and performing music has provided me with more than just fun; music for me, as well as millions of others, is uniquely fulfilling. Furthermore, once it is begun, music education has no foreseeable end for the musician. When world-famous classical performer Pablo Casals was asked why he continued practicing his cello for hours every day at age ninety-three, he responded, “I’m beginning to show some improvement.” As long as there is music, there are mountains to climb and valleys to explore. Fortunately, music is everywhere—from watching TV to waiting in an elevator, one cannot escape music. My experiences as a musician have added a new dimension to my music consumption. If my experience and that of millions of others is anything to go off of, music education serves to enhance life.
When the topic of music’s introduction or reintroduction into schools is broached, critics question its necessity as a part of curricula. Arguably, music is not a necessary component of education. However, very few if any school subjects, even “core” subjects, could withstand such examination. The question, then, is one of music's value as a school subject, and whether or not its value holds up to that of established school studies such as Mathematics and English. For reasons listed above, the study of music arguably has equal or greater value to these academic mainstays.
As a means of providing brain development, discipline, social outlets, and fulfillment, music is unrivaled. As such, its inclusion in school curricula is highly advisable, if not necessary. I credit much of my musical passion to my exposure in school. If music education became universal, one can only imagine how many lives could be changed.
Works Cited
Qi Zhang. “Application of Music Education in Brain Cognition.” Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, vol. 18, no. 5, Oct. 2018, pp. 1960–1967. EBSCOhost, doi:10.12738/estp.2018.5.095.
Bugos, Jennifer A. “Greasing the Skids of the Musical Mind: Connecting Music Learning to Mind Brain Education.” General Music Today, vol. 29, no. 1, Oct. 2015, pp. 5–11. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1074777&site=eds-live.
Barnes, Tom. “Science Shows How Musicians' Brains Are Different From Everybody Elses'.” Mic, Mic, 13 Aug. 2014, www.mic.com/articles/96150/science-shows-how-musicians-brains-are-different-from-everybody-elses.
“Casals at 93: ‘I'm Beginning to Show Some Improvement.’” The Least, First, 4 Apr. 2009, masbury.wordpress.com/2009/04/04/casals-at-93-im-beginning-to-show-some-improvement/.
LeTourneau, Nancy. “Yo-Yo Ma: 'Culture Builds Bridges, Not Walls'.” Washington Monthly, Washington Monthly, 16 Apr. 2019, washingtonmonthly.com/2019/04/16/yo-yo-ma-culture-builds-bridges-not-walls/.
“Music Education in Crisis.” Rent or Shop Branded Musical Instruments, www.nemc.com/resources/articles/music-education-in-crisis_90.
