With today's increased significance being placed on higher test scores on aptitude tests that schools are having to deal with, if you vote to cut band and music from your school, you are an absolute FOOL. Did I just say that out loud? I guarantee you with 100 percent certainty that your schools aptitude test scores ARE going to drop if you kill music programs. Below are a list of results and facts that show why and prove my point....
The pace of scientific research into music making has never been
greater. New data about music’s relationship to brainpower, wellness and
other phenomena is changing the way we perceive mankind’s oldest art
form, and it’s having a real-world effect on decisions about educational
priorities.
The briefs below provide a glimpse into these exciting developments. To see updates on the latest findings, check the "Make Your Case" section of SupportMusic.com.
Did You Know?
Middle school and high school students who participated in
instrumental music scored significantly higher than their non-band peers
in standardized tests. University studies conducted in Georgia and
Texas found significant correlations between the number of years of
instrumental music instruction and academic achievement in math, science
and language arts.
Source: University of Sarasota Study, Jeffrey Lynn Kluball; East Texas State University Study, Daryl Erick Trent
Did You Know?
Students who were exposed to the music-based lessons scored a full
100 percent higher on fractions tests than those who learned in the
conventional manner. Second-grade and third-grade students were taught
fractions in an untraditional manner ‹ by teaching them basic music
rhythm notation. The group was taught about the relationships between
eighth, quarter, half and whole notes. Their peers received traditional
fraction instruction.
Source: Neurological Research, March 15, 1999
Did You Know?
Music majors are the most likely group of college grads to be
admitted to medical school. Physician and biologist Lewis Thomas studied
the undergraduate majors of medical school applicants. He found that 66
percent of music majors who applied to med school were admitted, the
highest percentage of any group. For comparison, (44 percent) of
biochemistry majors were admitted. Also, a study of 7,500 university
students revealed that music majors scored the highest reading scores
among all majors including English, biology, chemistry and math.
Sources: "The Comparative Academic Abilities of Students in
Education and in Other Areas of a Multi-focus University," Peter H.
Wood, ERIC Document No. ED327480
"The Case for Music in the Schools," Phi Delta Kappan, February, 1994
Did You Know?
Music study can help kids understand advanced music concepts. A grasp
of proportional math and fractions is a prerequisite to math at higher
levels, and children who do not master these areas cannot understand
more advanced math critical to high-tech fields. Music involves ratios,
fractions, proportions and thinking in space and time. Second-grade
students were given four months of piano keyboard training, as well as
time using newly designed math software. The group scored over 27
percent higher on proportional math and fractions tests than children
who used only the math software.
Source: Neurological Research March, 1999
Did You Know?
A McGill University study found that pattern recognition and mental
representation scores improved significantly for students given piano
instruction over a three-year period. They also found that self-esteem
and musical skills measures improved for the students given piano
instruction.
Source: Dr. Eugenia Costa-Giomi, "The McGill Piano Project: Effects
of three years of piano instruction on children's cognitive abilities,
academic achievement, and self-esteem," presented at the meeting of the
Music Educators National Conference, Phoenix, AZ, April, 1998
Did You Know?
Data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 showed
that music participants received more academic honors and awards than
non-music students, and that the percentage of music participants
receiving As, As/Bs, and Bs was higher than the percentage of
non-participants receiving those grades.
Source: National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 First Follow-Up (1990), U.S. Department of Education.
Did You Know?
Research shows that piano students are better equipped to comprehend
mathematical and scientific concepts. A group of preschoolers received
private piano keyboard lessons and singing lessons. A second group
received private computer lessons. Those children who received
piano/keyboard training performed 34 percent higher on tests measuring
spatial-temporal ability than the others ‹ even those who received
computer training. "Spatial-temporal" is basically proportional
reasoning - ratios, fractions, proportions and thinking in space and
time. This concept has long been considered a major obstacle in the
teaching of elementary math and science.
Source: Neurological Research February 28, 1997
Did You Know?
Young children with developed rhythm skills perform better
academically in early school years. Findings of a recent study showed
that there was a significant difference in the academic achievement
levels of students classified according to rhythmic competency. Students
who were achieving at academic expectation scored high on all rhythmic
tasks, while many of those who scored lower on the rhythmic test
achieved below academic expectation.
Source: "The Relationship between Rhythmic Competency and Academic
Performance in First Grade Children," University of Central Florida,
Debby Mitchell
Did You Know?
High school music students score higher on SATs in both verbal and
math than their peers. In 2001, SAT takers with coursework/experience in
music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal portion of the
test and 41 points higher on the math portion than students with no
coursework/experience in the arts.
Source: Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, compiled by Music Educators National Conference, 2001
Did You Know?
College-age musicians are emotionally healthier than their
non-musician counterparts. A study conducted at the University of Texas
looked at 362 students who were in their first semester of college. They
were given three tests, measuring performance anxiety, emotional
concerns and alcohol related problems. In addition to having fewer
battles with the bottle, researchers also noted that the college-aged
music students seemed to have surer footing when facing tests.
Source: Houston Chronicle, January 11, 1998
Did You Know?
A ten-year study, tracking more than 25,000 students, shows that
music-making improves test scores. Regardless of socioeconomic
background, music-making students get higher marks in standardized tests
than those who had no music involvement. The test scores studied were
not only standardized tests, such as the SAT, but also in reading
proficiency exams.
Source: Dr. James Catterall, UCLA, 1997
Did You Know?
The world's top academic countries place a high value on music
education. Hungary, Netherlands and Japan stand atop worldwide science
achievement and have strong commitment to music education. All three
countries have required music training at the elementary and middle
school levels, both instrumental and vocal, for several decades. The
centrality of music education to learning in the top-ranked countries
seems to contradict the United States' focus on math, science,
vocabulary, and technology.
Source: 1988 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IAEEA) Test
Did You Know?
Music training helps under-achievers. In Rhode Island, researchers
studied eight public school first grade classes. Half of the classes
became "test arts" groups, receiving ongoing music and visual arts
training. In kindergarten, this group had lagged behind in scholastic
performance. After seven months, the students were given a standardized
test. The "test arts" group had caught up to their fellow students in
reading and surpassed their classmates in math by 22 percent. In the
second year of the project, the arts students widened this margin even
further. Students were also evaluated on attitude and behavior.
Classroom teachers noted improvement in these areas also.
Source: Nature May 23, 1996
Did You Know?
"Music education can be a positive force on all aspects of a child's
life, particularly on their academic success. The study of music by
children has been linked to higher scores on the SAT and other learning
aptitude tests, and has proven to be an invaluable tool in classrooms
across the country. Given the impact music can have on our children's
education, we should support every effort to bring music into their
classrooms."
Source: U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (NM)
Did You Know?
"The nation's top business executives agree that arts education
programs can help repair weaknesses in American education and better
prepare workers for the 21st century."
Source: "The Changing Workplace is Changing Our View of Education," Business Week, October 1996
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