Why Is Music Education Important?

     As a music educator, I have found more often than not that many people -- teachers and parents alike -- do not understand the need for our profession, particularly at the elementary level.  Many view music as a means to an end; simply another tool to further other academic areas such as math, history, or reading.  Still others feel it is more of moral importance, or the idea that if a child is playing an instrument, they will be too busy to get into trouble.  While there are an array of different beliefs about why we have music within a school, it is an absolute fact that the arts and music are the first subjects to be dismissed when school funding is cut or when we are attempting to do more and more testing on our children.

     It is absolutely true that music can and does help children to excel in other academic areas, including but not limited to math, history, reading, writing, and foreign languages.  Music can also help students who are not performing as well in other subject areas to feel like they have something they can be great in.  It is also true that music can be used as an extracurricular activity that exposes children to culture, ideas, and languages that they normally would not be in contact with.  It can provide a fun-filled and friendly atmosphere to those not fortunate enough to have a loving and supportive home life, or those who have a harder time making friends at school.

     I believe that many have forgotten what the point of education truly is: to enhance the quality of life within our young pupils, and to prepare them with enough logic, sense, and knowledge so that they may use their educational background as a compass to navigate life.  Too often, we are so focused on the idea that school is only to prepare someone to attend college: that simply is not true.  We, as public educators, would all love for our students to have a passion for learning and attend college.  But if I may be so bold as to speak for many professionals, what we most want for our students is for them to become well-rounded, cultured, and logical individuals that can integrate within society and thrive, no matter what their education level.

     It is a fact that music helps contribute to changes in attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.  All throughout time, musicians have used their talents and gifts to explore new ideas, express themselves, and even to help create social change.  If we then, as educators and parents, understand that music is so influential, we must also agree that it is an important subject within its own right.

      Music in elementary school is not meant to create performers, entertainers, or professional musicians.  General music is to create a wonderful experience that leads to an awareness of how important music is to our world, and pass that on to our children.  It is to develop within the child an appreciation, if not love, for music; it is to create life-long consumers and supporters of music based on the fact that it does create a very unique experience for the child, and for society as a whole.

Thank you to all those parents and teachers that support the arts and music!

Sincerely, 

Sarah Johnston