Music Makes the Grade

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ENGL 1520

Oct. 11, 2015

MUSIC MAKES THE GRADE

In the words of former President Gerald Ford, “Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them- a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music” (Ford). He knew exactly what he was talking about regarding the importance of music education in our schools. With such a strong correlation established between music education and the increased benefits that it has on learning, as well as the school environment itself, music education today is still overlooked for the important part it plays in the overall education of our children. Music education must be a requirement in schools. The rewards you will get back from the investment of providing this type of education as a mandated part of the school curriculum are plenty and can not be overlooked. Music education has been shown to increase the learning ability in all other academic areas of study. With all it offers, it raises the likelihood for success in other areas such as math and language. We will explore the effects of music education on the development of interpersonal skills and the roll it plays in the development of self esteem and look at the scientific data that shows youth who are involved in a music education regimen are less likely to engage in troublesome behavior. In today's fast paced society, the need to quickly learn subjects has been pushed to the forefront of education. Music education provides the necessary tools needed to help make that happen.

As early as the 19th century, the importance of a music curriculum in schools could be noted. In 1832 The Boston Academy of music was founded. The Academy was a school that promoted the...