1. Rachel Whitted
AP Lit Comp
Ms. Tillery
November 18th 2011
Music Education in Present-Day Society
War, Poverty, and Disease are major problems society faces every day. These problems in the
world are everyday concerns, real, and under constant debate. Despite constant reminders of these
problems still no tourniquet has been found to cure these insufferable problems. These problems are
huge and way too hefty for anyone person to take on, and yet individuals constantly complain and
remind the world of these issues, but no one stands up for other concerns of a “lesser” degree. Although
not as pressing as war, poverty or disease; the lack of music education in today's society is alarming
and an issue that should be solved.
Everyone is affected by music in some way, but teaching children how to play instruments
creates a long lasting effect on children in many ways. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee
comments on music education and says, “Nothing could be stupider than removing the ability for the
left and right brains to function. Ask a CEO what they are looking for in an employee and they say they
need people who understand teamwork, people who are disciplined, and people who understand the big
picture. You know what they need? They need musicians” (“The Benefits of the Study of Music,” 1).
This bold statement from someone of high standing shows the importance of music in children today.
Budget cuts are being made and the first thing to go in public schools is funding for the arts, but music
is so necessary to education. Music focuses on several things at once and, as Mike Huckabee says, uses
both the right and left side of the brain. When playing music one has to read what is essentially a
foreign language on a page, interpret it, continuously count and keep rhythm, listen to the surroundings
and learn to play with others, and focus on the technique that comes with each instrument. A study
published in the Psychology of Music journal explains how music helps improve reading skills, and

2. they claim “Several studies have reported positive associations between music education and increased
abilities in non-musical (eg, linguistic, mathematical, and spatial) domains in children” (Piro 1). Many
neurologist and psychologist agree that music education helps emotional and helps with academics as
well. These facts only give all the more reason to fund music education and integrate it every day into
school for all students. Although budget cuts are necessary at times such as these we need to push
forward and work to push future generations in hopes they can achieve fixing society.
Funding music education is a priority that should not be put aside, but the educational process
and teaching methods are very important as well. Currently in the United States music education is
vastly different from elementary school to high school. Music involvement in Elementary school is
declining and is a worrisome problem. During the 1970s and 1980s, reduction in music curriculum time
changed from 20-30 minutes a day to 20-30 minutes a week due to various reasons; such as, reduced
from budget reductions, greater emphasis being placed on test scores in language arts and mathematics
and colleges reducing the coursework in music required of classroom teachers (Colwell 1). Now in the
elementary school education although the times are shorter, students now have a trained musician to
teach them rather than the normal classroom teachers. Elementary schools need to go back to daily
lessons in music to create the better habits not only in music, but in academic classes as well that forms
in young minds from learning music consistently and seriously. Requirements for music classes in
middle school are even worse than those in elementary school. In middle school the Carnegie
Foundation recommended a new format to focus on student development, “The arts are often a required
exploratory course for six to nine weeks at one or more of the grade levels of middle school, an
arrangement that interferes with any sequential music curriculum during middle school and lacks any
connection to elementary school music objectives or to the offerings in the secondary school” (Colwell
1). Middle school requirements require art classes, but does not allow for the art classes to be
consistent, but rather sporadic. Children need to be able to experience a consistent music experience so
they are able to play at a consistent level. Without consistent lessons and practice children are unable to

3. progress with their progress as musicians and the benefits that come from music education do not work
in favor of the students. Middle schools need to allow arts, namely music, to be a consistent part of life
for students to build students up to an acceptable secondary school level so students who decide to
pursue music in high school can be as successful as possible. Finally, in secondary schools music is a
choice to become part of the individual’s school day, but is not funded by the school, but privately
funded instead. “No longer automatically providing instruments for students, schools have gradually
come to expect students to own or rent their own instruments and to pay for expenses associated with
contests, festivals, and travel…. Secondary music is, therefore, not affordable for everyone unless
support exists for special students” (Jorgensen 1). Allowing the students to independently choose
allows much freer choice for each student, but also excludes those who are unable to afford being in the
band program and is unfortunate. Public schooling should try to provide for anyone interested in
participating in music at the high school level where a true love for music can be found or even just a
relaxing part of the day to make friends and do an activity to enjoy. Public Schools need to be able to
provide more readily to allow music programs to thrive to the best of their abilities. The benefits
received from getting the best possible education in the arts does pay off inevitably whether through
becoming better at academics or even just having something to enjoy that keeps children out of trouble
like drugs created through young adults that are bored. Ultimately, the music programs in schools need
to be better organized and supported by the educational department.
So what is being done to help and what still needs to be done? Important people like Jef Raskin
are strong defenders of music and speak out their opinions and help out. For Jef Raskin music
education was very important to him and it shows when he said, “If I had not studied music, there
would be no Macintosh computers today” (Raskin 1). Throughout his years, Jef Raskin studied music
and took lessons and he now gets lessons for his children and it has affected them all. Music is very
important to Macintosh and has always been a priority to make music and art Mac-friendly thanks to
Jef Raskin. With such a strong influential voice people are beginning to help out in their communities

4. to the best of their abilities. Without music education many of the things taken for granted in society
everyday would be unavailable to us, because of the creativity that blooms thanks to music. In Seattle,
the Rotary Club has shown an interest in musical education and they know put forth an effect to
provide instruments for grade school children to help them get a head start into music to help them
succeed in high school. David Endicott who started this and got the Rotary Club interested said, “This
program will bring such job to our children, all of whom need art and music as part of an excellent
education” (“Music Education: Strike Up The Band,” 1). If more people in every community decide to
pitch in to help out like the Roatary Club helps these young musicians then music education can once
again become a major part of society for young children. Music Educators have been developing many
different reasons as to why music is vital to every child, “In difficult economic times, and when facing
the pressures of standardized testing, school boards often seek to eliminate the costs of music
instruction from the budget, and the resulting struggle of music programs to maintain a foothold in the
curriculum has sometimes led to exaggerated claims about the power of music” (Hodges, 1). Music
teachers find it difficult. Not only do they have to survive on low wages, but when budget cuts get
mentioned, the music program is the first to go. Music teachers and directors choose to teach music to
be able to make children happy and teach them how to make music. When the school boards prevent
them from being able to do their job and what they love it’s understandable when they become
desperate and have to push exaggerations on school board members just to get enough money for
necessary costs. Even other countries are pushing forward to have better music education in their
community. In China has developed “Open Universities” to allow anyone in the community to become
a part of the music community. China feels that “The fast economic development creates new social
needs and raises new demands for a high quality of cultural life….China is gradually taking shape and
appears in various forms” (Luyi, 1). China believes that with a strong music education their country
will thrive better so why doesn’t the United States take steps to allow music education to thrive? In the
United States music education is an afterthought and not strongly supported by the masses. Community

5. music is necessary and helps build a stronger sense of togetherness in the community. Another example
of community music involvement is called HONK!. This new movement encourages the community to
get together to freely make music together and allow the community to interact with each other.
“HONK! bands represent a new incarnation of a time-honored tradition when there were marching
brass bands in most every town” (Garofalo 1). HONK! allows communities to enjoy and produce music
together no matter what the skill level is. Allowing the community to cooperate and come together this
way really brings the community together to allow for stronger bonds and a better, happier community.
In America currently a few community music organizations have been created with the goal of keeping
music in the community, “Community music is alive and well in the US community music groups
flourish in great numbers and bewildering variety” (Leglar 1). Community Music Schools, Ethnic
Preservation Groups, and Community Performance Groups are all active in the United States today to
create a healthy music community. Having music in the community and helping out in the schools to
provide for children helps everyone grow and come together for a bigger cause.
Music Education is crucial to society today to thrive. Communities get a better sense of being
together. Children learn valuable skills and also show they have higher testing scores. Students and
children learn to function with several parts of their brain at once and are pushed to become better
players and musicians. Music also allows for creative expression on an emotional level and also allows
people to push and focus more and be able to listen and work together better. Giving students’
instruments and helping them learn to express themselves helps in a world with so many problems with
youth. Even in China and various other countries around the world also feel like this is an important
part of society and integrate community lessons available to everyone so everyone can participate in
community music events. Without music in our schools and communities life would be drastically
different. Music is necessary and society needs to put music on a higher priority so budget cuts need to
be saved for elsewhere and music needs to be funded to the best of the ability whether it be through the
community or help from nonprofit funding or school board help. Music education is vital to many

6. people in the United States and should continue to be cherished.

7. Works Cited
“The Benefits of the Study of Music.” MENC, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
<http://www.menc.org/‌documents/‌temp/‌benefits_of_music.pdf>.
Colwell, Richard, and Carlos Xavier Rodriguez. “Music Education.” Encyclopedia of Education. 2nd
ed. Vol. 5. 1718-1726. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
<http://go.galegroup.com/‌ps/‌retrieve.do?
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nt48040&tabID=T003&searchId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&sear
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%7CCX3403200427&&docId=GALE|CX3403200427&docType=GALE&role=>.
Garofalo, Reebee. “HONK! Pedagogy: A New Paradigm For Music Education?.” Radical Teacher91
(2011): 16-25, Academic Search Complete, Web. 17 November. 2011.
Hodges, Donald A., and Mary Luehrsen. “The Impact Of A Funded Research Program on Music
Education Policy.” Arts Education Policy Review 111.2 (2010): 71-78. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 17. Nov. 2011.
Jorgensen, Estelle R. “School Music Education And Change.” Music Education Journal 96.4 (2010):
21-27. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
Leglar, Mary A., and David S. Smith. “Community Music In The United States: An Overview Of
Origins and Evolution.” International Journal Of Community Music 3.3 (2010): 343-353.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
Luyi, Sun, and Gong Zhifang. “Communication and responsibility: Open universities in China and
community music education.” International Journal of Community Music Volume 4 Number 1
(Mar. 2011): 15-21. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Oct. 2011. <httphttp://proxygsu-
sche.galileo.usg.edu/‌login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/‌login.aspx?
direct=true&db=a9h&AN=60504170&site=ehost-live>.

8. “Music Education: Strike Up The Band.” Editorial. Seattle Post-Intelligencer . N.p., 18 Mar. 2008.
Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://find.galegroup.com/‌gic/‌retrieve.do?contentSet=IAC-
Documents&sort=Relevance&tabID=T006&searchId=R1&docId=CJ176853371&prodId=GIC
&currentPosition=3&userGroupName=cant48040&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&sgHitCou
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Piro, Joseph M, and Camilo Ortiz. “Music Education Can Help Children Improve Reading Skills.”
SAGE Publications/‌Psychology of Music (Mar. 2009): n. pag. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/‌releases/‌2009/‌03/‌090316075843.htm>.
Raskin, Jef. “In Defense of Music Education.” sbomagazine.com. N.p., 21 Jan. 2008. Web. 17 Nov.
2011. <http://www.sbomagazine.com/‌7707/‌archives/‌january-2008/‌what-does-music-education-
have-to-do-with-the-success-of-apple/>.