Harris 1 Dionte Harris Lyra Hilliard ENGL 101 Sect.

BL02 17 October 2012 Paper 1 Final Music in Schools: A Necessity or Unnecessary? In the first grade I started playing the violin. A participant of my schools music program, I rapidly progressed with the instrument. In the sixth grade I performed at the Kennedy Center for the first time. I performed Beethovens 5th symphony with the DC Youth Orchestra. My first violin teacher, Mr. Brown, made sure that before anyone in the class touched a violin we could read basic music, name and identify the parts of the instrument, and properly hold the violin bow. This taught me discipline: I studied music notes every night, learned the parts of the violin to the point that I could give a lecture on each specific part, and I practiced my bow hold until my hand was virtually fixed in the proper position. Only three weeks after the start of music classes, I was allowed to take my violin home. I instantly fell in love with the violin; I practiced from the moment I woke up until I had to go to school, to as soon as school let out until the time I had to go to sleep. My schools music program helped to instill in me that if I practiced enough I will master a task that I had previously deemed impossible. Over three years I progressed fairly well, being that Mr. Brown suggested that it was time I joined a reputable youth orchestra. In the fourth grade I joined the DC Youth Orchestra and for the first time in my musical career I felt inspired to improve. At my school I was always the best in the music class; however, at orchestra practice there were students years younger than me that were playing as though they were four times my senior.

Harris 2 Seeing the competition motivated me to work harder than ever to steadily improve until I made it to the top orchestra with whom I performed at the Kennedy Center with in the sixth grade. The discipline and drive I had for music crossed over to my education. I had an easier time grasping concepts than most of my peers and I was diligent in my studies; therefore, I saw a gap between the test, both standardized and class, scores between myself and my classmates as well as our ability to understand and process in class. I know music education positively impacted my life; therefore, I am a proponent of having music in the schools. However, I question if I was just lucky. Was I blessed with a good teacher? A good school music program? Is there really a correlation between being involved and music and higher test scores, literacy, and math skills? Or are my assumptions about musicthat it helps discipline a student which will result in later academic and personal successpurely biased and unfounded? Music involvement has a correlation with development and motor skills. David J. Treachout, the Associate Professor and Chair of the Music Education at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and author of chapter 3 in The Impact of Music Education on a Childs Growth and Development, argues that music can play an important role in a childs development. Treachout states that music, originally associated with specific information, has been found to significantly improve the recall of that information (4). This means that playing music greatly improves a students ability to recall and remember information. From experience, I can say that playing extended concertos and symphonies to the point that you can play them without the sheet music has helped me to remember school information, including: math formulas, definition, and scientific rules. However, can the same be said for other music students? Treachout also says that Music instruction is positively associated with a number of cognitive functions including spatial-temporal abilities visual-motor integration selective

Harris 3 attention memory for verbal stimuli reading ability and mathematical skills (7). This extends that not only does musical involvement improve memory but it overall makes a student more intelligent (7). That music involves using many sides of the brain at the same time; therefore, sharpening a students mental skills which essentially makes them smarter (7). I agree with Treachouts argument that music education improves memory; however, I cannot agree that it makes students smarter or more intelligent because whos to test which student is smarter than the next? What exactly does it mean to be intelligent? Treachouts use of ambiguous phrases like smarter and intelligent make it so that it is difficult to wholly accept his argument since everyone has a different meaning of these words. However, I do believe that Treachout makes relevant points as to how music education positively affects a students development and ultimately to why music should remain in the schools. Donald Hodges and Deborah OConnell, professors of the Arts, who wrote The Impact of Music Education on Academic Achievement a chapter in The Sounds of Learning the Impact of Music Education elaborate on the relationship between music education and academic achievement. Hodges is a professor of Music Education and director of Music Research at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. OConnell is the Coordinator of Music Education and Assistant Professor of Music at Winston Salem State University. The authors argue that music education leads to academic success but provide Cadarellis 2003 test to defend their claim (OConnell, Hodges 3-4). In the test, Cadarelli separates a group of inner city third graders into two groups: students who participated in music and students who did not participate in music (4). Caradelli then observed the students performance on standardized test and found a significance increase in the scores with the students who participated in music having higher average test scores than those who didnt (4).

Harris 4 Does music really improve the test scores and academic performance or is it the change in curriculum around the nation? Richard Phelps, a journalist and author and writer of the article To the Test? refutes OConnell and Hodges by arguing that teaching to the test: teaching what will be on standardized testliteracy and math has a greater effect on improving standardized test scores and overall academic performance (Phelps para. 8). Also, Phelps states that teaching to the test means teaching students the knowledge and skills we agree they ought to learn (para. 3). Coming from a school where many of my AP teachers made it a point to not teach directly to the exam, I witnessed how not efficiently preparing for standardized tests can negatively affect a schools performance on tests. My high school does not have a positive record with standardized test but what is more important: having high rates of passing standardized tests or raising well rounded citizens? Is the way to raise well rounded citizens through music education? Darby Southgate and Vincent Roscigno are both professors of Sociology who paired up to write The Impact of Music Education on Childhood and Adolescent Achievement which was published in the Social Science Quarterly. The authors argue that students that participate in music not only have higher test scores but also are more likely to become future doctors, lawyers, and other socially desired careers (Roscigno, Southgate 4). Moreover, that music education not only improves test scores but also improves a students future standard of living (5). Roscigno and Southgate renounce Phelps assertion by stating that music education raises well rounded citizens and improves the chances of future prosperity; therefore, extending the argument of OConnell and Hodges. Another factor in observing the effects of music education is the music teacher. The music teacher holds the ability to mold how young musicians view their potential. Estelle Jorgensen, a writer for the Music Educators Journal and the author of School Music Education

Harris 5 and Change, argues that music teachers can ultimately shape how a student discerns music. From my first violin teacher, Mr. Brown, to the violin coach that I had in high school, Mr. Chen, I know that I have a great affinity to music because I saw how passionate they were in not only their teaching but their performance, master classes, ultimately, in their craft. However, does a teacher always instill the best outlook on their students? Jorgensen says that a teachers practices cannot always be favorable and sometimes the teacher must take their classroom into their own hands (para. 20). When does a teachers method of reprimanding a student go too far? Is this a key determinant as to if music should be in schools? Ive had plenty of teachers, especially once I got into a traveling orchestra to yell at me, saying that I wasnt dedicated or talented enough to even be playing the violin. My feelings were hurt but I used it as motivation to work harder to improve; nevertheless, some students take the words of their teachers very seriously. The reactions to the reprimands from music teachers lead to what Jorgensen calls the [musicians] fear of inadequacy and isolation (para. 6). Since almost every musician has an innate fear of not being good enough there is a constant fear of acceptance among peers. Being the musician who started early in a concert or the person who didnt bring their sheet music to rehearsal often led to being the outcast of the week at the DC Youth Orchestra. This delineates that although music education is important, it may not be the best idea for it to be made available in the schools. I had enough passion for music that being berated for not practicing enough during the week did not deter me from continuing with my music education; however, Ive witnessed dozens of musicians leave orchestras for the same reason. Since every child handles pressure differently, I can understand how not having musical education available to all students

Harris 6 can prevent harming many students mental health since they wont have to deal with the incessant fear of not being perfect. Is there really a correlation between music education and higher test scores? Literacy level? Math skills? Or do these factors strictly depend on the mindset of the individual student. Although I benefited from participating in my schools music program, I am vacillating between if music education belongs in the schools or not. A part of me still thinks that music education not only disciplines a student but also makes them a well-rounded person; however, I have seen pressures from music hurt a peers self-esteem, making them lose all confidence in themselves. Maybe I was lucky to have such an amazing experience with my music education; I seem to have had the perfect beginning teacher, perfect orchestra experience, and improve academically, mentally, and musically. However, Im not sure that many people who have studied music feel the same way as me.

Harris 7 Works Cited Hodges, Donald A., and Debra S. O'Connell. "THE IMPACT OF MUSIC EDUCATION ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT." N.p., n.d. Jorgensen, Estelle R. "School Music Education And Change." Music Educators Journal 96.4 (2010): 2127. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Oct. 2012. Phelps, Richard P. "Teach to the Test?" WilsonQuarterly.com. N.p., Autumn 2011. Web. 16 Oct. 2012 Southgate, Darby E., and Vincent J. Roscigno. "The Impact Of Music On Childhood And Adolescent Achievement." Social Science Quarterly (Blackwell Publishing Limited) 90. (2009): 4-21. Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 Oct. 2012. Treachout, David J. THE IMPACT OF MUSIC EDUCATION ON A CHILDS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. N.p., n.d.