Music education is getting harder to access especially for disadvantaged students. It is being cut out of schools. Much of society is unaware of how beneficial music is socially and developmentally. Why can’t music be kept in a school curriculum that can benefit children with their learning?
Music is probably being cut because of educational inequalities in poorer communities. Low-income students of color, and English language learners have less access to the arts. If they do they are provided at a lower quality. After the recession of 2008, schools were faced with budget cuts. The arts were the first victims. Lower-income and minority students were the most likely to lose their art programs. There are state law requirements but only a few school districts across the state live up to the requirement. Zahira Torres from the Los Angeles Times wrote, “State law requires that schools provide music, art, theater and dance at every grade level. But the law lacks teeth and few districts across the state live up to the requirement” and “Carl Schafer, a veteran arts educator who has been meeting with lawmakers and state leaders to make sure districts are complying with the law, said for far too long arts education has been treated as an option.” There has been research that states that a wealthier community has better public schools and can raise money more in donations to provide music instruction in their districts. California Supreme Court said spending needs to be fair and just between school districts. In 2001 the No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law with the promise to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged children and their wealthy peers. In 2016, the LAUSD board approved $356,000 for the purchase of much-needed musical instruments in disadvantaged schools. Also, the majority of high schools consider music as an extracurricular activity. It is considered an option and not necessary from an academic standpoint.
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Music brings happiness and learning. Research has suggested that music education has a positive impact and gives students a way to connect with other people. Involvement in music is strong for those on the edge of dropping out of school. Music can open a multitude of academic avenues and is important for all children to learn and can lead to better brain development, an increase in human connection, and even stress relief. Sadly it’s being removed and students will no longer receive these benefits unless they enroll in private lessons. It puts those who cannot afford such lessons at a disadvantage. Assal Habibi, a neuroscientist, and psychologist at the Brain and Creativity Institute at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, conducted a seven-year study of students in the Los Angeles area with Brain and Creativity Institute along with co-directors Antonio and Hanna Damasio starting in 2012 about how music impacts the brain. The Los Angeles Philharmonic and their musical education program Youth Orchestra Los Angeles contributed to this collaboration. Emily Gersema from USC News wrote a quote that Assam Habibi said, “Together these results demonstrate that community music programs can offset some of the negative consequences that low socioeconomic status can have on child development.” Her study shows that music is very beneficial for children’s brains.
Perri Klass, an M.D from the New York Times stated, “These subjects are often under threat either from budget cuts or from the inexorable demands of academic testing and “accountability,” but insights from neuroscience suggest that arts education can play additional important roles in how children learn.” Music is reading and a nonverbal language. Music is universal. It makes a positive impact on reading, language, math, and logic skills. Music is a most effective educational tool to encourage and provide a broad structure in bringing together all of the core subject matter elements serving as the glue to hold it together. It can be incorporated into any subject to enhance learning. So if there are so many studies about the benefits of music and it has been proven, why not support it? Perri Klass also quoted Mariale Hardiman, who is a professor at the John Hopkins School of Education, “that when arts were integrated into the curriculum, “learning became more visible.” Teachers told her “the children would remember the information better when they taught it through the arts.”
So it’s very important for society and some educators to be more aware of the different ways music can be beneficial in the long run. Music should be considered one of the main core classes just like math, science, language arts, and social studies. They should also know that not every child wants to be a mathematician, a scientist, or a doctor. Some children want to become the next Beethoven, Mozart, or Tchaikovsky. Some children find in their hearts to express their creativity, so why not support the performing arts? Learning should be exciting, fun, and motivational. Not dull.
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