- Music Education has been the "cutback" scapegoat of school systems all over the country. The singer and songwriter, Jewel, once said that “Some people think music education is a privilege, but I think it’s essential to being human.”
Is music education a privilege? Or is it essential? Many would argue that music is not as important as reading, writing and arithmetic. While this may be true, is music not just as important?
Aldous Huxley once said "After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music". Music is found everywhere, helping everyone, convey their inner emotions. Music expresses what we as humans can not express with words and is arguably the most important form of expression because of this very reason. If school systems deny our future children of this form expression, how will they learn how to express the inexpressible?
Gregory Anrig – President, Educational Testing Service stated: “The things I learned from my experience in music in school are discipline, perseverance, dependability, composure, courage and pride in results. . . Not a bad preparation for the workforce!”
If music education does all of this - how can school systems truly believe that football stadiums are more important? Do people really believe this or is it a ploy to fund a consumer's desire?
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2 comments:
I could not agree more strongly that music education is essential to a full and rounded education. It is a shame that music and arts programs are so often the first to be placed on the chopping block when a school is facing budget cuts. I don't have any experience with public elementary, middle, or high school music programs because I went to private school. However I understand that music programs are frequently underfunded in all public schools. Even going to private schools with hefty fees, in elementary and middle school we only had music class once a week and it was always the first class to be skipped due to time constraints. Unfortunately the quality of the course material was also lacking and class was usually focused on learning the words to hymns for mass. I wish I could have been exposed to more musical theory and also to a broader range of music in class. I think it is important to get children interested in music from a very young age. In school with a captive audience of students teachers should expose them to things they would not normally hear. Though at the time they may not appreciate what they're hearing, eventually at least some of the pupils will expand their tastes. At the high school and college level I think it is important to offer music and arts programs that students who are not pursuing musical educations can take. Introductory courses like jazz, opera, or classical appreciation can be beneficial to all students. Appreciation courses can offer something to any student because there is so much that can be missed by a casual listener that deepens the listening experience. Of course talent should also be encouraged, but as some one who is sorrowfully lacking I have to content my self with trying to understand what I hear as fully and deeply as I can.
While I do not have music high on my list of things I would want to learn about, I do know that there are people out there who do. I attended private school until high school. I had music once a week from Kindergarten to eighth grade. I did not learn very much other than songs for church and a few “fun” songs here and there. When I entered the public school system in high school, I did not have to take any music classes. To me, music class was personally a waste of time, there was nothing to learn that I could not learn on my own if I wanted. I feel this is because I did not learn to play an instrument or read music.
It might be the physical education major in me that got a bit upset over the football stadium comment, but I feel athletics are just as important as music. It could also be the consumer-driven economy that makes going to a football game more interesting then say going to an opera. Everyone somewhere inside of them enjoys music because we all listen to it in the car. Do I feel we need it as a class every year of our schooling? No; however, music classes should be offered as electives for those who are interested in it.
As to how people would express themselves, there are many ways people can do this. Writing is a means of expressing yourself and letting your feelings out. I also feel you do not need to be taught how to express yourself in music; it is your own personal style anyway. Therefore, whether you are pounding on a key board or just stroking a few cords on a guitar you can still be expressing yourself in your own way.
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