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Music: The Most Underutilized Tool of Education

How many days do you go without listening to music? For almost every person, the
answer to that question is zero. That question came from the words of Celeste Labonte, a high
school Chorus and music education teacher at Barrington High School. The question, although it
may seem rhetorical or unimportant, actually explains the importance of music in present day
culture. The world today would be nothing without music and its constant, everyday influence on
all levels of society. Despite this impact throughout culture, music education funding in the
United States is being drastically reduced , forcing school districts to cut music programs and
classes because of the supposed lack of importance in comparison to "core classes" like math,
history, and literature. In many cases, programs of the arts, especially music, are being shut down
completely. Recent studies however, have shown increasing benefits with kids who are involved
in music education. Research has proven that people receive better test scores and attain
academic proficiency on a higher average than those that are not involved with music. The
benefits are not just within test scores however, they also reside in scientific evidence that reveal
increased memory, auditory, and reasoning capabilities in the brain from people who are
involved in music. Despite its supposed lack of importance in comparison to core classes,
music education programs should be required in school systems because of musics significance
in todays society, and the positive advantages found within the brain that correlate to musical
involvement.

The United States Government and school systems around the country give numerous
reasons for cutting music programs, most of which inaccurately target the unimportant nature of
music in the education system. In the last half decade, the number of students with access to
music in their schools has been drastically cut, and at this point it is down almost 50% of what it
used to be (Nieves). A survey done in New York stated that over three quarters of all principals
in the state of New York are forced to cut music because of budget issues. (Hernandez). Most
school systems do not want to cut music out of their students experience, but are forced to with
a looming budget hanging over their heads. This may also be attributed to the downturn in the
economy in the last decade. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the
numbers of students who have faced budget cuts to music education in their schools is upwards
of 95% since the last economic recession of 2008 (Hawkins). The terrible economy of the last
decade is not the main reason for budget cuts however, rather it being a shift of major emphasis
being put on standardized testing requirements. George Bushs, No Child Left Behind policy, has
been forcing schools to over emphasize Math and Reading and devote a majority of funds to
those subjects. States such as Vermont and New York have been forced to cut significant
amounts of budget dollars that are put towards the music and arts in order to devote extra time to
increase test scores mandated by the new laws (Houck). Due to policy changes and pressure to
meet federally mandated test scores, school budgets are being directed towards math and
reading, limiting the amount given to music and the arts. The under emphasis of music in school
systems as a means to meet standards for testing is a contradicting idea, because music and the
arts are actually proven to increase test scores in schools and teach skills not found in other
subjects.

Music is one of the most important and undervalued forms of art in culture today.
Everywhere in the world, music represents more than just sounds and noises. Music defines the
lives of people who live around it. It is an art form that can bring many attributes to people that
can not be learned anywhere else. Laura Lewis Brown described Music Education by saying
The many intrinsic benefits to music education include being disciplined, learning a skill, being
part of the music world, managing performance, being part of something you can be proud of,
and even struggling with a less than perfect teacher (Brown). Celeste Labonte, a chorus teacher
at Barrington High School explained how it is important for kids to be involved and participate
actively with other children around them. Many kids are involved in Sports, or other clubs, but a
majority of kids do not have the physical ability or desire to participate in sports. Music is
something special she explained, it gives kids who dont enjoy sports or do not have the
ability, to feel part of a team, and experience working together towards a goal (Labonte). Music
teaches students skills that are very scarcely found in other subjects. It is an aspect of human
culture that applies many different facets of reasoning, hard work, and skills in order to create
something with your own physical ability. Music provides students with a feeling of independent
achievement, but also the idea of teamwork and group cooperation to achieve a goal. It is an art
form that is valued around the world because of its variety and ability to have its own special
meaning for each individual. The cultural and personal benefits of music has also been found to
translate into greater academic achievement.
One of the most profound arguments against music education is that it hinders the
process of learning the other core subjects of study; Math, Science, Literature, and Science.
Research actually proves that music increases the development in core classes.

A study done by The College Board, a nonprofit association that works to make
sure all students in the American educational system are college-ready, found that
students who take four years of arts and music classes while in high school score
91 points better on their SAT exams than students who took only a half year or
less. (Hawkins)
The SATs which are composed of a writing, reading, and math section, do not directly correlate
to music in any way. The research done however, proves that Music can have a profound effect
on a students scores without even being any part of the test. This is due to the increased problem
solving and spatial skills that are attributed with playing music. Another study in recent years
looked at kids in the elementary and grade level.
A study published in 2007 by Christopher Johnson, professor of music education
and music therapy at the University of Kansas, revealed that students in
elementary schools with superior music education programs scored around 22
percent higher in English and 20 percent higher in math scores on standardized
tests. (Brown)
Although school systems feel the need to shift budget funding away from the arts and put it
towards core classes like english and reading, the research shows that schools with music
actually perform better. By removing music programs they are actually hurting the other classes
intended to be improved, despite the added funding. This research however, is denounced by
many officials because of claims that they dont consider the fact that most students who
participate in music come from well-to do families and better funded school systems.
Critics of music education point out that the research done is not accurate, due to the fact
that studies done don't take into account that students who play music live in wealthier more

affluent communities where school systems are better funded. New studies however, have taken
that argument into account. A new study done by the National Endowment reports low-income
high school students who earned few or no arts credits were five times more likely not to
graduate from high school than low-income students who earned many arts credits (Hawkins).
The musical benefit has also been found to translate into the next schooling level. A study found
that Low-income students who had arts-rich experiences in high schools were more than three
times as likely to earn a B.A. as low-income students without those experiences (Hawkins). The
belief that studies were misleading because of wealthier students being more likely to be
involved in better funded programs and music, is actually incorrect. Independent studies were
done to disprove this common misjudgement. Research was done on strictly low income
students, and the same results were found; music benefits students in multiple ways that
encourage both education and the quality of learning. Besides the effect music can have on
testing scores, grades, and graduation rates, music has recently been discovered to have a
positive output on the health of the brain.
Recent studies within the scientific community reveal that Music, especially playing
instruments, can have a profound effect on the brains memory. One expert explained the process
music has on brain.
Those many hours spent learning and practicing specific types of motor control
and coordination (each finger on each hand doing something different, and for
wind and brass instruments, also using your mouth and breathing), along with the
music--reading and listening skills that go into playing an instrument in youth, are
all factors contributing to the brain boost (Cole).

Learning to play an instrument, or sing to a song, or anything musical, requires intense practice.
The practice that a musician does creates a situation where the brain is being used. This stimulus
of the brain in turn affects the neurological facet of the brain. Research has proven that
musicians, or or any person who partook in musical lessons, have better memory skills than
those who didn't (Dye). Memory is important in education because no matter what class a
student is taking, the memorization of vocab, dates, peoples, and equations will always be a
factor. Music benefits the memory by using a combination of skills, which can also be translated
into auditory benefits inside the brain.
Along with memory, those who play instruments have been proven to have increased
functioning in their auditory recognition skills. One researcher, Schlaug, found that after 15
months of musical training in early childhood,structural brain changes associated with motor and
auditory improvements begin to appear (Cole). In a very similar study to Schlaug, researchers
noticed that subjects of the testing who participated in music were able to recognize sounds
easier and were able to utilize certain skills that gave them greater ability to process things like
pitch (Klass). Researchers have been doing this test for years but have always struggled until
now to see how the process develops inside the brain scientifically. Schlaug explains this process
very well. This is because musicians brains have an increase in the volume of white matter.
Such findings speak to the brain's plasticityits ability to change or adapt in response to
experience, environment, or behavior (Cole). Schlaug and his findings prove that musicians
brains are better coped to hear certain sounds, or remember different things. The ability to
distinguish sound and pitch by musicians requires extreme patience and listening skills. These
skills translate into a classroom environment and improve a student's willingness to learn. Both

facets of the brain, memory and auditory, are benefited by musical involvement. The use of the
entire brain however, and its benefits, is even more compelling.
When compared to math, science, and literature, many critics place music underneath the
spectrum of core classes in the area of education. Researchers however have discovered that
music is unlike math or any subject, because it requires all facets of the brain to communicate
and respond to the needs of a musician. When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain
become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes
more like a full-body brain workout (Collins). Playing an instrument is like no other experience.
Trying to get the hands coordinated with the hearing, and the hearing with the seeing, is one of
the hardest things to learn. It is found that since playing music requires both major sides of the
brain, that it increases both the volume and activity in the corpus callosum, the bridge between
both major sides of the brain (Collins). Math and other subjects are unlike music, because they
do not require the gap between both sides of the brain in the corpus callosum to be bridged. This
limits the activity and strengthening of the brain that subjects like math can have. This Full body
brain workout actually translates into other core subjects, and improves the ability of the student
to engage and reason through problems.
The use of the entire brain when involved with music actually increases the skills needed
to solve a math problem, or analyze a question when reading a story in literature class. Playing
music benefits the visual, auditory, and motor cortices. And as with any other workout,
disciplined, structured practice in playing music strengthens those brain functions, allowing us to
apply those strengths to other activities (Collins). It is a process that is unmatchable to any other
form of education. Music gives the brain stimulus that can not be found in Calculus, British
Literature, or Biology. The ability to connect between both sides of the brain when playing

music increases the skill of executive function or the interlinking of strategizing, problem
solving, and attention to detail (Collins). This function can help a student evaluate an essay
question, plan out a proof for a math problem, or pinpoint the correct data needed in a science
lab. The benefits of playing music are far reaching and spread to all realms of academic
prominence. The advantages for music dont stop after a person stops playing however. Recent
information has been discovered that could change the way people view Music as a whole.
Benefits from music do not just fade away, but actually continue to affect the health of
the human brain throughout life. One researcher, Nina Kraus, has effectively found a connection
between musical involvement and long term benefit. Kraus and her colleagues attached
electrodes to the heads of 87 persons ranging in age from 18 to 65, all of whom had normal
hearing. About half the subjects had started taking music lessons before the age of nine, and had
remained active in music throughout their lives. The others had fewer than three years of music
lessons, and were classified as non-musicians (Dye). The experiment was testing to see the
connection between age and the effects Music can have on the brain. The purpose of the
electrodes was to measure what neurologists call "neural timing," or how long it takes for a
human brain to process an auditory signal (Dye). One might expect that younger people would
without a doubt hold faster response times than their senior counterparts. This was not the case
however. Older participants in the study who had made music a big part of their lives could
process the signal just about as fast as the younger participants. The "non musicians," however
lagged considerably behind, indicating that playing a musical instrument was crucial to retaining
memory and hearing (Dye). The study by Kraus revealed unexpected information into the topic
of auditory skill retention among elders. Musicians both young and old experienced similar,
increased performance, compared to their non musical counterparts. The importance of

musicians having increased brain function will rise as the issue with dementia and degenerative
diseases grows along with it.
The positive effects from music that remain until later stages in life are becoming more
important, with the deterioration of the brains health becoming an ever increasing issue in todays
world with the likes of Alzheimer's and Dementia. Studies continue to pour out information
about the increased brain function of senior citizens who are musically involved.
Hanna--Pladdy's study, published in 2012, confirmed findings and further
suggested that starting musical training before the age of nine (which seems to be
a critical developmental period) and keeping at it for ten years or more may yield
the greatest benefits, such as increased verbal working memory, in later
adulthood. (Cole)
As this information unfolds more and more information, the signs point to music as being an
extreme factor in the area of mental health. One researcher stated He saw a difference even
among those who were slipping over the edge into dementia. Memory begins to fade as the
patients slide toward that dark abyss, but the last thing that goes the last bit of memory he
says, is their ability to remember music (Dye). Musical lessons and training at a young age has
been proven to increase brain function with memory and auditory skills at an elderly age.
Researchers have discovered a link between music, and dementia, by proving that music is the
last thing to go. If musical training strengthens the brain, it should in turn hold off longer against
the onset of dementia by improving the brains facets of memory and auditory skills. With the
long term benefits of childhood musical interaction being so crucial to the health of the brain, it
is imperative that school systems and the government begin to shift their focus towards bringing
back music to schools.

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Despite being considered of lesser importance than core subjects, music has been found
to have advantages which are unattainable in classes like math and reading, and should be
required in school systems throughout the country. Music is of extreme importance throughout
the culture of todays world. It is a tool used to express individuality, strength of character and
teamwork. Studies have revealed neverending benefits of musical participation; such as
improved graduation rates and testing scores, and benefits that reside within the brain. It is a task
like no other, for it requires the use of all facets of the brain and body. The benefits that are
found from musical brain stimulus do not fade away either, but actually persist until the late
stages of life where they continues to benefit the human brain. With research constantly pouring
out a never ending stream of positives that result from music education, it should be considered a
crime to deprive students of the experience with musical education and the benefits it provides.
Education is taking a wrong turn with its emphasis on the extreme testing of math, science, and
reading. With new evidence being discovered every day, it is only time before school systems
shift their focus to bringing back what defines our culture and improves kids lives; Music.

Works Cited
Brown, Laura Lewis. "The Benefits of Music Education." PBS.org. PBS.
Labonte, Celeste . Personal Interview. 6 Nov 2014.
Collins, Anita. "How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain." TED-Ed. TED-Ed.
Cole, Diane . Your Aging Brain Will Be in Better Shape If You've Taken Music Lessons.

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National Geographic, 1/3/14.

DiFiore, Vince. "The Importance of Music Education in Schools." CNN. Cable News Network,
31 May 2011.
Dye, Lee. "Playing Music Protects Memory, Hearing, Brain Processing." ABC News. ABC
News Network, 01 Feb. 2012.
Hawkins, Tyleah. "Will Less Art and Music in the Classroom Really Help Students Soar
Academically?" Washington Post. The Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2012.
Hernandez, Javier C. "School Art Programs Survive Budget Woes." 7 Nov. 2008
Houck, Olivia. "Against Cutting Art and Music Programs in Schools."Morrison Institute.
Arizona State University.
Klass, Perri. "Early Music Lessons Have Longtime Benefits." New York Times.
Nieves, Anne-Marie. "Advocates Gather at Public Hearings on September 9 to Contest Further
Cuts to Music Education Programs in CA Schools." 7 Nov. 2008