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When
school budgets are revised and something has to be cut, it is frequently music,
which is seen as a frill, despite the fact that it is integrous to most
cultures. The study and appreciation of music, though, is significant in the way
it connects to many other parts of the curriculum.
It is
important for parents to champion the teaching of music in the public schools
because once it is cut, it is rarely reinstated. My school district eliminated
elementary school music teachers in the early Seventies and has never reinstated
them.
Music is mathematics.
The
rhythms, beats, and notes are directly related to the mathematical way that
notes are divided fractionally. A young person who does not understand fractions
in a strictly mathematical context but who is studying music may "get
it" with the explanation of whole , half , quarter , eighth, and other
subdivided notes.
Music is social studies.
The
musician develops a relationship with his audience. Ensemble musicians cooperate
in the practice and performance of their selections. The songs sung and
instruments played reflect the cultures from which they come. Music tells us
about the time period in which it was created, which also makes it a means of
understanding history. The mutual enjoyment of composers and musicians brings
people together.
Music is a foreign language.
The
symbols for notes, rests, clefs, time measurement, and tempi are a language that
must be understood in order for the music to be performed properly. Performers
who do not speak a common cultural language can communicate through music. And
yet listeners can enjoy music without understanding the notes on the page or the
cultural language used.
Music is physical education.
In the
playing of instruments, body muscles coordinate with the eye. Music used as an
accompaniment to dance and aerobics enhances those activities.
Music is science.
Acoustics is the science of sound. Instruments and voices produce waves and
vibrations.
Music is enduring .
Compositions speak to audiences via performers across the ages.
Music is an aid to intrapersonal knowledge.
The
musician must continually evaluate what she is doing, through practice and
performance, to be sure that she is conveying the intent of the selection.
Music is magnetic.
It can be a means through which the entire
school experience is made accessible to children. Maybe you or a friend found
that the academic aspects of school did not offer you the meaning that you
were looking for. You may have found that your experience in drama, art, band,
or student government was what you needed to keep yourself connected to
school. There are many students for whom music can serve as that bridge. If it
weren’t for music, there would be no interest in school - no reason to stick
around.
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