Introduction
Current educational boards are abolishing music courses from curriculums nationwide to focus more importance on areas such as state and national testing standards. Music has become ignored and disregarded to make time for a new, allegedly better, standard. Ironically music is part of the foundation upon which these standards are based upon. The importance of music education and attributes that students attain from classes complete the learning package. Education does present constant change likewise our world is also constantly changing. The decline of music education is not a positive one. The extinction of music in favor of subjects more focused on national ranking tests will do more harm than good.
Time management, meditation, artistic balance and many other useful tools in life can be obtained through musical learning. For example, Native American Indians learned how to do spirit quests by meditating to the beat of a drum. A world with no music is unimaginable. It is as undesirable as a nation with no football programs. Yet musical education is being persecuted in the public education system. The valuable and important knowledge that music can impart to us is slowly being whittled away in favor of a society that focuses on standardized national achievement tests whose ability to measure a student’s true academic achievement is questionable at best.
Music is one of many passions I was blessed with learning at a young age. My grandmother gave me the fortunate opportunity to receive piano lessons at the age of five. As I grew older I sought to broaden my knowledge of music to include the guitar, clarinet and bass guitar, I even bought my own bass guitar. Though my accomplishment in the field of music does not yet include the bass guitar, I fully intend to continue my education with the bass and many other instruments. When I recall my past and present involvement with music I have nothing but a positive, pleasant and enriched learning experience. Truly, music has become a part and parcel of my soul.
History of Musical Education
When people think of music today they think of pop stars like Rihanna, rappers like Chris Brown or Country singers like Taylor Swift. Whatever we hear on the radio is what passes for music in this generation. However, music is so much more than repetitive beats and catchy choruses. Before there was ‘Umbrella’, ‘Closer’ or ‘Crazier’ there was ‘Messiah’ by Handel and “Bagatelle in A minor, WoO 59 (‘Für Elise’)” by Beethoven. Prior to that the classical era even the Greeks, Romans and even the prehistoric humans enjoyed a good song every now and then.
Classical Use of Music Education
Dating back to Plato and Aristotle, music has been long regarded as one of the “Four Pillars of Learning.” Plato quoted: “The decisive importance of education in poetry and music: rhythm and harmony sink deep into the recesses of the soul and take the strongest hold there. And when reason comes, he (the student) will greet her as a friend with whom his education has made him long familiar.” Aristotle quoted: “We become a certain quality in our characters on account of music.” Allan Bloom quoted: “Music is at the center of education, both for giving passions their due and for preparing the soul for the unhampered use of reason.”
While it might be understandable for the Athenian Greeks, like Plato and Aristotle, to have an appreciation of music because of their philosophical bent in life they were not the only Greeks who enjoyed music. The Spartans, famed for their military prowess as can be seen in the movie the 300, also had music and dancing in their Spartan city. To the aggressive and warlike Spartans music and dancing were tools to be used to help their soldiers march in cadence. Still considering the Spartans dispensed with many other activities, family life among other things, the fact that they had music emphasizes its importance to society.
Halfway across the world during the same era, the first Chinese Emperor Shi Huang di found that drums could be very useful in coordinating the movements of his soldiers. A practice that would be continued centuries later up until the 19th century where armies literally marched to the beat of drums and the cavalry charges to the blaring of horns.
Aside from military applications, music was also used by ancient society in aid of their storytelling. Many native dances in Asia and Africa are actually their epic ‘origin’ tales told in the form of dance accompanied by music. For example, the tinikling in the Philippines is actually their creation myth told in a dance where the first man and woman must endure many obstacles. For some Native Americans and the Aborigine people of Australia music was the only practical way of recording their history.
Without a system of writing to preserve their history music was the only way that the current generation could connect to past. While Native Americans might have significant archeological records with which to help them piece together their history, Aborigines do not have this luxury. The only way Aborigines can connect with their past now is to sit by the campfire and hear their shamans sing the long melodious dirge that is their music, music that has been passed down to them for thousands of years.
Recent uses of Music
In more recent years, music has been used as a powerful propaganda tool and as a means of promoting social order. The Nazis, The Communists and even Americans have made significant use of music to promote their particular causes. The Nazis made heavy use of marshal music to promote their ideal of a nationalist people and military strength.
Communists, even today in North Korea, bombarded their people with patriotic songs to inspire obedience and loyalty. Finally, who could forget the long string of ‘hippie’ music that came out in the 1960s promoting free love and denouncing the Vietnam War. Who can forget John Lennon’s timeless classic “Imagine” and its dream of ending divisions in the world.
Modern Purposes of Music
The essential musical basics of time and tempo provide a foundation for participation in many extracurricular activities. Cheerleading dance routines critically use time and tempo to create a team consistency. All titles of the school marching band are intermeshed together using time and tempo. Activities such as these would be impossible without the fundamentals of music education. After all, music is deeply intertwined with these two forms of art. Without a musical foundation Cheerleading is just a group of boys and girls jumping around with pompoms. Without music a marching band is just a band of people making noise.
Aside from the obvious applications of musical education noted above there are many Olympic sports that find meaning and beauty when combined with an effective musical score. For example, synchronized swimming is complement and made more enticing when accompanied by a stirring musical theme. Figure skating and Gymnastics also gain aesthetic quality and become more appealing when they are done with a powerful musical score in the background. Besides aesthetics, these Olympic sports actually become easier with music because the athletes can coordinate their movements and actions better if they can time it against a strong music score. In fact these sports might well seem impossible if there was no music to go with them.
It is hard to imagine how synchronized swimmers can time their movements if there was no music to follow as they are submerged in water and incapable of talking or barking out commands. To give an idea of how hard it is to do synchronized movements without the aid of music, the silent drill is one of the most difficult forms of marching that is practiced at West Point and other military academies. It is very hard because there is no drum cadence to march to and no drill sergeant barking out orders. Only the most elite and well-practiced team can perform the silent drill.
Reading, thinking and memorization skills are reinforced within music education. These abilities are also crucial life and career fundamentals that every individual uses on a daily basis. Reading ability is achieved while learning lyric or note reading. As a matter of fact some studies show that learning is actually achieved not by reading the words with the eyes by speaking the word in the head. That is when we read words we are actually saying them in our head and it is this that is absorbed by the brain and not the words themselves. As proof of this scientists has proven that listening to words is actually a faster study tool than reading. Also you can try reading out loud versus just reading and you will discover that you will retain more when you read aloud.
Thinking processes are also improved by studying the correct measures to play or observe music. Memorization of a song instills the ability to excel as memory is needed for all school studies. The same mental agility needed to remember the lines to the lyrics of a Chris Brown song can also be used to memorize the steps of the Krebs cycle or the bones. Translating dance and music into thought processes and implanting them into memory can be a very impressive tool, in the Hannah Montana episode “Time to Study’ udy ‘udy” Miley used dance moves in order to learn the parts of the bones.
The song and dance number were called the bone dance. While this may appear comical it is a very practical application of music to allow students to absorb abstract concepts. A person who is well versed in music can also be very observant about his environment. After all, the same sophistication that it takes to appreciate a concerto or an opera can also be used to notice the subtle changes in another person’s feelings or in seizing up the mood of a crowd.
Perhaps the most significant in recent times, expressions of political, social, personal and entertaining emotions can be portrayed by music. Ceremonies whether religious or traditional will use music for the purpose of expressing a symbolic representation or mood. Music education can teach lessons for conveying these messages.
On the socio-political aspect there have been many recent songs that emphasize a political or social message. Miley Cyrus’ “Wake Up America” tell us about the dangers that global warming will bring and how it is time for us to act lest we lose all that we have. The late Bob Marley’s songs were known to have a strong political message. The Beatles were just one of the many bands in the 60s and 70s whose songs were laced with a strong anti-war sentiment.
Even if the musicians’ music itself is not politicized, musicians are able to translate the fame they gained from their music to promote things long after their music has gone to the bargain bin. Kenny Roger’s is still selling chicken to the people even if he has already retired. Elvis is long dead but merchandise related to “the King” still sells like hotcakes.
The entertaining and mental stimulation of music is another outlet of musical power. Emotions can be expressed artfully and personally. Dancing or listening to music is a common form of culture dating to the 18th century. After the preaching of Reverend Thomas Symmes, the first singing school was created in 1717 in Boston, Massachusetts for the purposes of improving singing and music reading in the church. These singing schools gradually spread throughout the colonies (Wikipedia, 2008).
Music as entertainment
Music as a form of entertainment can never be denied. Today, a multi-billion dollar industry exists that revolves around the production and marketing of songs. While some purists bemoan the fact that many of today’s artists are frauds who can’t sing or whose music is entirely manufactured by producers It can not be denied that the music industry is a powerful business today.
Some of today’s acts are criticized as being just manufactured or just all hype. For example, Hillary Duff and Vanessa Hudgens are two examples of singers who supposedly can’t really sing but are popular because of heavy support from the Disney brand. T.a.t.u. gained a wide following in 2002 because of their lesbian image, which was later disproven, despite the fact that they weren’t really very good musicians.
Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, The Pussy Cat Dolls and even the Spice Girls are criticized for using sexuality and suggestive themes to sell their music. Other acts are accused of using profanity or taboo themes, Marshall Mathers a.k.a. Eminem comes to mind, to gain popularity even if their music has no real content. Perhaps one reason why pop acts are so popular is that people are losing the ability to appreciate good music. One of the culprits for this is because music education is being deemphasized in the public education system. In other words, people don’t know what good music is anymore so they automatically assume that what they hear often on radio is good music.
Unfortunately unless something is done Francis Sparshott’s celebrated claim–“It may turn out that the music of the world are the way they are because that is the way people want them, and the reason they want them that way is that, in each case, the music is just what it is. (Jorgensen, “In the search of music education” 53)” maybe true. People may think their current regime of music is good primarily because they don’t know any better.
Decline of Music Education
As part of creativity and development many Americans will agree music is part of a well-rounded education. As a matter of fact a classical liberal arts education in college will still carry a strong helping of music education in its curriculum. However, studies prove schools are promoting more class instruction in non-music or arts-related courses. The No Child Left Behind Act signed by former President George W. Bush, holds schools accountable for student performance in only mathematics, reading, and eventually science, it is feared that the law may be compelling states and districts to neglect other important subjects (music for all, 2008).
Since schools are only ranked based on their students’ performance in math, reading and science it makes perfect sense for them to focus their efforts on improving their students’ tests scores in these categories. Given that public schools often have limited resources in terms of funding, increased focus on these critical subjects automatically means that other ‘less important’ subjects will be left to share the scraps of school resources.
Based on my research of the No Child Left Behind Act or NCLB within the US Department of Education website, subjects such as math achievement, reading, science achievement and technology were only a few accounted for in the A-Z index. Therefore, presently music is not listed or projected as a future part of the NCLB plan.
To make matters worse, national economic changes present challenges for music instruction as schools are making budget cuts by the elimination of programs, courses, and members of the teaching staff. This means that unless positive action is taken to reinstate the importance of music in education, schools will be forced to phase out their music programs in favor of NCLB recommended curriculum and the impending budget crunch brought about by the recession.
Unfortunately not only is music heavily deemphasized in favor of other more ‘important’ subjects it is also received very little support as a valid academic subject are. As a result, music teachers feel that they have to seek greater public endorsement for music education to be considered a legitimate subject of study. This perceived need to improve the public’s view with respect to music education has resulted in many groups which practice music advocacy.
Music Advocacy
VH1 Save the Music Foundation
The VH1 Save The Music Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education in American public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as part of each child’s complete education (VH1, 2008). Since 1997, the VH1 Save the Music Foundation has provided $43 million worth of new musical instruments to more than 1,600 public schools in more than 100 cities around the country, impacting the lives of more than 1.2 million public school students (VH1, 2008). VH1 is one of many organizations designated for musical education support. The campaign is ongoing for various organizations as the struggle for music support raises. After all, someone has to take the cudgels in support of the music education.
Prior to the rise of VH1’s campaign there was a previous campaign based on the so-called “Mozart Effect”. The campaign was based on findings that seemed to indicate that listening to Mozart’s music may induce a short-term improvement in the performance of certain kinds of mental tasks mainly spatial-temporal reasoning (Pryse-Phillips 611). In layman’s terms the campaign for the Mozart effect can be summarized thus; “Listening to Mozart makes you smarter” or “early childhood exposure to classical music has a beneficial effect on mental development”. The term was first used by Alfred A. Tomatis when he used Mozart’s music as a listening stimulus in his study on attempting to cure certain types of disorders. The approach was based on an experiment published in Nature which suggested that listening to Mozart temporarily boosted students’ IQ by 8 to 9 points (Nature 400).
The popularity of the “Mozart Effect” was so profound that on 13 January 1988 Georgia Governor Zell Miller allocated $105,000 a year to provide every Georgian child a tape or CD of classical music. Miller himself said that “No one questions that listening to music at a very early age affect the spatial-temporal reasoning that underlies math and engineering and even chess”. Simply put, in a rare twist government money was actually allocated to promote the use of music by people.
National Association for Musical Education
MENC or the National Association for Musical Education is another institutional supporter of music education. It is the world’s largest art organization program and the only association in America that addresses all aspects of music education. It boasts over 142,000 members who represent every level of teaching from preschool to graduate school.
MENC was founded in 1907 and has since been advocating that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers (MENC, 2009). According to their website, MENC’s activities and resources have been largely responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education. (MENC, 2009)
Music Teachers National Association
Still another organization that supports music education is the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA). This organization was founded in 1876 by Theodore Presser and his sixty-two colleagues in Delaware, Ohio (MNTA, 2009). The mission vision of the Music Teacher’s National Association is to advance the value of music study and music-making to society and support the professionalism of music teachers (MTNA, 2009).
The association has two programs namely; the MTNA professional certification program and the MTNA foundation fund. The professional Certification Program was established to improve the level of professionalism in the field of applied music teaching while the Foundation fund exists to support programs which financially assist teachers and students with their educational pursuits. The MTNA has 22,000 members.
Music Education’s Benefits
A solid music education is associated with those who go on to higher education. Looking at what groups may have participated more in music education shows the largest differences (Harris Interactive, 2008). Two-thirds (65%) of those with a high school education or less participated in music compared to four in five (81%) with some college education and 86 percent of those with a college education (Harris Interactive, 2008). The largest group to participate in music, however, are those with a post-graduate education as almost nine in ten (88%) of this group participated while in school (Harris Interactive, 2008). Music education is also associated with higher incomes (Harris Interactive, 2008). Simply put, a strong music education is positively associated with higher learning.
Within my own family, musicians and college attendees are limited. But even the limited numbers my family presents can have telling effect. The grandmother who encouraged me to fulfill my music education was a college graduate. If my luck holds out the only family musician and future college graduate would be me. Research, statistics and personal experience empower my beliefs to become an advocate for music education. The old adage knowledge is power, are a truth of education and a student’s future.
Both the nature of education and the nature of music are essential to a fuller understanding of what is encompassed within music education (Jorgensen, “In the search of music education”, p.3). Education does present constant change. Surroundings in our world are also constantly changing. The change for music education however, is not foreseeing a positive one. The task of transforming music education necessitates corporate as well as individual action (Jorgensen, “Transforming Music Education” , p.47).
Music teachers are typically preoccupied with a wide array of tasks, including developing musical imagination; interpretative capacity; the ability to listen; skills in composing, improvising, and performing; and critical judgment (Jorgensen, 2003, p.130). Coupled with the fact that they are sometimes asked to substitute for other teachers they are no longer able to focus on the task of imparting musical appreciation to the students as they are too overburdened.
Changing Education Through the Arts
Just because schools are now largely ranked based on Science, Reading and Science only does not mean that music education can just be left to rot. In fact, there are some schools and organizations which promote the integration of music classes with math, English and science. Based on these beliefs it is possible that integration of music into these curricula will help the subjects support and build off each other and ultimately enhance the quality of education that the children will receive. It is hoped that by integrating music with these programs music education can play a vital role in the development of a child holistically while he undergoes his scholastic journey.
This program is already being implemented at the Kennedy Center. The program is known as “Changing Education Through the Arts” or CETA. CETA defines the arts thru integration. It seeks to find a natural connection between the multiple forms of art and areas of the school curriculum, such as science, social studies and English. The goal is to teach and assess the objectives of both the art form and the curricular subject area. It is hoped that this will allow a synergy between the focus of creating and responding to the arts as well as addressing the requirements of the curricular subject area (CETA, 2009)
Conclusion
In conclusion, Music education programs are becoming extinct and support within the education system is critical. The diversity and genres of this blessing called music are limitless as students can express themselves and obtain the complete essentials for their holistic educational experience. Without music one may not achieve their full potential goals, career or personal successes.
As the “Mozart effect” demonstrated even moderate exposures to classical music may have profound effects on our intelligence. Our society is not forgiving to change and less accommodating to music programs. Society is rapidly rendering musical programs extinct by wiping it away in favor of more empirical learning. Very soon Music will be no longer taught in schools and people will just have to take radio’s word for it when they listen to music because people will know no better.
The present challenges include the loss of belief in musical education in our school systems. Expectations and standards of teaching are at the highest level they have ever been no thanks to the NCLB program which is now forcing more stress on the overburdened public education system. However, with the standards high and lower funds teachers are forced to place emphasis on where to make educational cuts. Those exemptions are part of the complete educational foundations. Music education will suffer from the lack of enrichment tools such as time, resources and educators.
Today more activities and options are available for youth. Interests of children have changed with this available array of options. Tradition may be oppressive to those without and within a social system (Jorgensen, “Transforming Music Education”, p.40). Those outside the system can benefit from the system’s change, even collapse, since they have not bought into the system or been fully accepted by it (Jorgensen, “Transforming Music Education”, p.40). Those inside the system may also be oppressed by tradition as it comes to weigh on the present and restrict their freedom of thought and movement (Jorgensen, “Transforming Music Education” p.40).
It is imperative that steps are taken to improve public support for the Music Education in public schools. The current view is that it is obsolete and no longer relevant to an increasingly more competitive world. However, this is wrong music has had a place in learning since Greek times. Even the Spartans taught music to their children. Classical Universities had music as a relevant subject even to those who would take up philosophy or science. But today we are slowly losing music in favor of more ‘important’ subjects ignoring the impact that music has had and will continue to have on students for many years to come.
References
CETA, (2009) Resources and Research. (On-Line). Web.
Harris Interactive, (2008). The Harris Poll #112, 2007. (On-Line). Web.
Jorgensen, (2003),. Transforming Music Education. Chicago: University of Illinois Press.
Jorgensen, R. E. (1997). In the search of music education. Chicago: University of Illinois Press.
MENC, (2009) Resources and Research. (On-Line). Web.
Music For All, (2008). Resources and Research. (On-Line). Web.
Save The Music Foundation, (2008). About VH1 Save The Music Foundation. (On-line). Web.
Steele, Kenneth et al. (1999) Prelude or requiem for the ‘Mozart effect’? Nature 400.
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, (2008). 2 History of Music Education in the U.S.A. 2.1 18th century. (On-Line). Web.
William Pryse-Phillips (2003). Companion to Clinical Neurology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195159381. ,