Music is an outlet for stress and an inlet for creativity. It induces happiness, and takes away the sadness. Music is a way of communication, and a way to learn. It is the history of our past, our endevours of the present, and our dreams for the future. The cultures of the world are divided in many ways, but music is not one of them. Everyone “gets” music. Everyone can relate to it, and understand it. Music is a way of entertainment, and Education in all cultures, and through all people.
So how can music help? Not only does music help with memorization and creativity, but it is said that music improves spatial-temporal reasoning, ( a neurological process needed to understand mathematics.) Music can also improve literacy and writing skills. Recently Dee Dickinson wrote a report on the affects of music on students from seventeen different countries. (fascinating article about the importance of music education.) It gives results on how children in places like Japan, (A country where music is in the curriculum throughout the duration of school.) are learning to their highest capability, and are doing well in everything else they attempt. The article also provides the top fifteen reasons, in Mrs. Dickinson’s opinion, for why music is so important. They are as follows.
1. They are languages that all people speak –that cut across racial, cultural, social, educational, and economic barriers and enhance cultural appreciation and awareness.
2. They are symbol systems as important as letters and numbers.
3. They integrate mind, body, and spirit.
4. They provide opportunities for self-expression, bringing the inner world into the outer world of concrete reality.
5. They offer the avenue to “flow states” and peak experiences.
6. They create a seamless connection between motivation, instruction, assessment, and practical application– leading to “deep understanding.”
7. They make it possible to experience processes from beginning to end.
8. They develop both independence and collaboration.
9. They provide immediate feedback and opportunities for reflection.
10. They make it possible to use personal strengths in meaningful ways and to bridge into understanding sometimes difficult abstractions through these strengths.
11. They merge the learning of process and content.
12. They improve academic achievement– enhancing test scores, attitudes, social skills, critical and creative thinking.
13. They exercise and develop higher order thinking skills including analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and “problem-finding.”
14. They are essential components of any alternative assessment program.
15. They provide the means for every student to learn.
Music can give success in Society, success in School, Success in developing intelligence, and success in life in general. Music is very influential, it shows who we are and what we are really like. It infulences what we do and the people we choose to hang out with. It brings people together, who in any other case may never have spoken. That’s the main picture, bringing everyone together in a way where age, gender, or race makes little difference. It’s a way to make the world a little less hateful and a little more thoughtful, music is bringing us together, one song at a time.
citation 1: http://childparenting.about.com/cs/k6education/a/mozarteffect.htm
citation 2: http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/benefits.htm
photo 1: http://www.dietzemusic.com/images/Express_Sm.jpg
photo2: http://depts.washington.edu/apsmer05/apsmerwater.jpg
