Mrs. Stafford's Music Class

I could summarize this in my own words, but surprisingly enough, I found a really great summary in a program from the Sullivan Marching Band Music Festival! They said it best when they said the following:

EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF MUSIC
Music Contributes to the Development of:

Language Skills-reading, listening, and speech
Mathematic and Scientific Skills
Overall Academic Achievement
Imagination-aural and visual imagery
Creativity-problem solving abilities

MUSIC FOSTERS PERSONAL GROWTH
Music Contributes to the Development of:

Positive Self-Concept-achievement and recognition
Self-Expression-cathartic value
Self-Discipline-responsibility and perseverance
Social Skills-mutual respect, cooperative behavior, and friendships
Aesthetic Taste-appreciation of beauty
Psychomotor Skills-coordination

MUSIC BENEFITS THE INDIVIDUAL, THE COMMUNITY, AND MANKIND:

Provides skills necessary for living in today's society
Provides enjoyable life-long recreational opportunities
Possesses therapeutic value
Provides career opportunities
Fosters community involvement by participation as performer or listener
Enhances the quality of life for both the community and individual
Promotes a historical appreciation of our own and other cultural heritages
Communicates feelings, facilitating international understanding

Music Is the Universal Language of Mankind;
Building Bridges of Understanding Between
Individuals, Groups, and Nations!

At the elementary level, music:

Enhances listening skills, therefore, the music environment should be as interruption-free and acoustically balanced as possible to allow the students to concentrate on listening to the fullest extent. Students not only listen to the teacher's directions, but to underlying harmonies, rhythms, words to a song to get the meaning, to themselves for self-evaluation, and many other facets.
Enhances reading skills, including the division of words into syllables, context (what does this song mean?), speech skills (diction, clear pronounciation of words, consonants, and vowels), reading through lyrics, finding repeated patterns, and more. (Please click here for more information. As you view the Powerpoint, note how music skills encompass and utilize ALL parts of the brain, not just the part for listening)
Enhances math skills through the beat, division and subdivision of rhythm, patterns, groupings of beats into meters or measures, and reasoning and analysis
Enhances social studies skills through folk songs and multicultural songs
Enhances science skills through the study of acoustics and the science of sound
Enhances fine motor skills through the use of recorders and other instruments, including electric keyboards.
Enhances gross motor skills through the use of movement and dance
Enhances self-expression and provides an outlet for emotions and frustration that can often be set loose in other, more detrimental ways. (Please read this article for points on that topic).
Enhances and helps develop sense of working as a team, empathy, self-pride, and relaxation through creative processes. The kids are learning, but they don't KNOW that they're learning! It provides a less structured outlay where children can produce results with fewer tests and paperwork.

MUSIC IS ALSO CONSIDERED A CORE SUBJECT IN THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT.
Title IX, part A. Section 9101, of the law says that "The term 'core academic subjects' means English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography."

For links on the importance of music education, please click here.

When you see the looks in your children's faces as they master the next belt level in recorder (and the looks of disappointment when I don't get a chance to hear them in the morning!), sing a song about freedom, or get excited when they research the life of a great jazz artist and find out that jazz artists are human like the rest of us, you'll know where the importance of music does come in. These are the looks I see everyday, and they reinforce my faith in music and what it does for children.