NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND….

        Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase. Perhaps you’ve even heard about the federal legislation that bears the name. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 passed by Congress presents broad criteria for educators and school boards to follow. As a music educator, the part that strikes me most is the inclusion of the arts as part of the core academic subjects. Music and art are to be considered equal in importance to English, math, language arts, science and social studies.

        Numerous studies of music education have long proven that there is real evidence of a link between higher intelligence and the study of music. Music students disproportionately attain high class ranking, receive scholarships, or involve themselves in the many worthwhile public service and volunteer activities in our schools and communities. Despite the overwhelming evidence to its innate value, the arts are many times considered nothing more than nice extra-curricular activities to be involved in.

        The historical uncertainty of music’s place in education is not due to a lack of supportive research. Did you know that:

• 24 studies have demonstrated strong and reliable positive correlations between music instruction and verbal SAT scores?

• Studies show that children given a combination of piano lessons and experience with a math video game scored higher on proportional math concepts than those who received the same video game training with language instruction instead of piano?

• Studies show active music instruction leads to dramatic improvements in spatial-temporal reasoning?

• Studies show success in second-language skill development occurred with the use of music-integrated instruction?

• Galileo, who gets credit for being the father of experimental physics, was taught to sing, and play the organ and other instruments, and was introduced to the Pythagorean rule of musical ratios at an early age?

• A study found contingent music (that is, music used as a reward for desired behavior) to be considerably more effective than other types of reinforcements such as candy, juice, stories, and even praise?

• Not only are there 10 years of studies showing a positive correlation between math SAT scores and music instruction, but now there is evidence that the increase in mathematics achievement is actually caused by music study in high school?

 

        Research now offers significant and growing evidence of the effects of learning shared between music and other measures of academic achievement. No Child Left Behind says that, regarding funding, expenditures are to be made to "support the core academic subjects." As I see it, the challenge is not whether there is reason enough to mainstream music education, but whether we, as parents, administrators and educators, are willing to support the funding, the effort, and the programs required to do so.

        Some critics think that too much time is already spent on music instruction in the schools, or that too much emphasis is placed on music instruction. In my opinion, there is not. Music educators frequently hear statements and excuses from students, parents and educators about why a student could not find time to practice, or why a student is failing a subject. In today’s classrooms, teachers are held accountable for the academic progress of their students. Parents concerned about their child’s success in math and reading are more wary of allowing them to sign up for music lessons that pull them out of class. However, six studies in the past decade have been conducted to investigate the academic effects of music "pull-out" programs. All six studies show that math and reading test scores are not affected.

        There is no time for educators to teach in isolation. Cooperation among all facets of learning is paramount. By achieving this, we run a better chance of becoming role models for our students; and give them a better chance to succeed in the world. The Gardner Theory of Multiple Intelligences identifies music as one of the seven different basic intelligences. Music is not only knowledge, but it is a way of knowing. It can also be a way of teaching. We can and should use the talents of all our teachers to instruct across the curriculum. Together we can help each student reach his or her full potential.

        Music is perhaps the only all-inclusive subject. It is a language, requiring communication, reading and writing skills. It is art, requiring personal expression, interpretation and creation. It is social studies, requiring cooperation and the understanding of different places and cultures. It is history, requiring knowledge and understanding in order to provide proper historical interpretations. It is math, requiring the understanding of addition, subtraction, division, and spatial relationships. It is physical education, requiring coordination and employment of all of the senses. Finally, it is science, requiring the ability to theorize and conceptualize.