Music: The Aspect For Innovation

We have to keep music education in schools and it’s up to us to make it happen. Look at the chart below showing you that a child’s intelligence increases when music education is present. The gray areas on the chart symbolize the music, with keyboard and voice lessons and the white areas are the control, consisting of drama and no lessons at all. Their IQ significantly increases and therefore, it is important for every child to experience this type of education.

One develops a creative side and initiates to think “outside the box.” Without music education, children will not be able to express themselves in a creative manner. Every individual deserves to find their interest and music education will be the aspect responsible for helping these children develop into independent, intellectual, and innovative thinkers.

VH1 Save The Music Foundation

According to their website, VH1 Save the Music is a "non-profit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education in American public schools." One of their main goals is to raise the importance of music as part of each child’s complete education. Most of the schools are in New York City but schools in Westchester are starting to cut out music also. The inspiration for the foundation started from John Sykes’s Volunteer experience as Principal for a Day at the Brooklyn, New York public school, PS58 (The Carroll School). Mr. Sykes first saw that "these students were struggling due to the great need for musical instruments" and he was inspired to learn more about the benefits the student receives from studying a musical instrument. Since 1997, this foundation has provided $43 million worth of new musical instruments to more than 1,700 public schools. It has impacted 1.4 million public schools students.
The Foundation maintains a partnership with the district until instrumental music programs are placed in every school. If there is a need for instrumental music education, they look to the superintendent and school board for a commitment to restore music in every school within a district. With this said, the foundation has found that music education is not only important for its essential value, but research consistently shows that students who study an instrument enhance their critical thinking skills and their ability to work together as a team. With the help from VH1 Save the Music, instrumental music education is brought back to life, therefore giving these kids the full education that is vital for every individual.

Twelve Benefits of Music Education

Carolyn Phillips thoroughly explains how music education is vital for an individual. Having an understanding of music benefits a person greatly where they will be able to create with their minds and come up with innovative ideas. Ms. Phillips proves her point in several ways in her book, Twelve Benefits of Music Education. She first says that early musical training helps develop brain areas involved in language and reasoning. This involves taking a musical course in elementary school where kids learn the basics of music, such as reading notes and learning the g clef and bass clef symbols. Then Ms. Phillips says that there is a connection between music and spatial intelligence, meaning the ability to perceive the world accurately and to form mental pictures of things. This kind of intelligence helps to solve math problems and develop better organization skills. In recent studies, students who study the arts have been more successful on standardized tests such as the SAT. They also achieved higher grades in high school. In addition, students of music learn craftsmanship. They develop a new set of skills which they can hopefully bring to the world and become successful. Carolyn Phillips states that music study enhances teamwork skills and discipline. Therefore, when these young children finally go off in the work force, they will be able to get along with their colleagues, thus developing friendships with others. Most importantly, Ms. Phillips explains that music study develops skills that are necessary in the workplace. It focuses on “doing” as opposed to observing. Employers are looking for multi-dimensional workers with the qualities that music education helps to create. Employers want to hire people who can communicate well with others and can come up with innovative ideas. Music education is the key in developing these qualities and without it; we are two-dimensional characters on this world. We will be living as ghosts; just going through the motions and not living life.