1) Music education in the US has evolved from early colonial practices of lining out tunes to the development of singing schools and inclusion in public school curriculums led by Lowell Mason. 2) National reports in the 1980s called for education reform and standards, leading to the establishment of national standards for music education and the No Child Left Behind Act. 3) Research shows benefits of music education such as improved academic performance, brain development, and life outcomes, yet music programs still face budget cuts; advocates are encouraged to make the case for music with facts and take a stand to retain high quality programs.

1. One Starfish at a Time
Brenda J. Clark, Ph.D.
Presentation for Taylorville
Area Arts Council
Sept. 2, 2010

2. Backward Glance
 Early American Music Education
 Massachusetts Law of 1647
 Music traditions transmitted orally
 Congregational singing involved “lining out” and was of
poor quality (no hymnals)
 Many people, especially ministers, expressed a desire
for improvement
 Many congregations almost split over the issue
 Around 1723, reformers won their point. Better
singers began to sit together in a group (choir)

3. Development of Singing Schools
 Developed by Singing Masters to provide their
services to cities, towns, and villages for a fee
 Classes held for all ages wherever space was
available
 Singing master earned additional income by selling
tunebooks
 Singing schools satisfied both musical and social
purposes
 Helped to improve the quality of singing in church

4. Music Instruction in Public Schools
 Lowell Mason – highly regarded
Singing Master and composer,
now regarded as the “Father of
Music Education” taught
music in Boston School (1838)
on experimental basis. (Free)
 Persuaded the administration to
include music in curriculum (supported by taxes)

5. Music education since 1838
 Has developed, matured, and flourished
 Many excellent choruses, bands, orchestras, small
ensembles, soloists; general music classes
 Adult population is not widely musically literate,
appreciative, and participatory
 Goals? Restrictive conditions impose limits
 Notable exceptions – some regions of the U.S. have
strong musical cultures

6. 1950s
 Turmoil
 Societal demands
 1957 – Sputnik I
 Basic skills – reading writing, math
 $$ poured into education to improve curriculum
 Arts weren’t excluded, but weren’t supported
 Perceived as “frills”

7. 1960s
 Economic strength for education
 Baby boom = increased enrollment = teacher
shortage
 Educational R & D sponsored by govt. grants
 Lots of social unrest, societal change

8. 1970s
 Oil prices up
 Inflation = inadequate funding for local schools
 State and federal gov. attention away from ed
 Enrollments and SAT scores declined
 Public confidence in schools dropped
 Education, business, industry, military, and public
called for reform
 “Back-to-Basics” movement

9. 1980s
 Federal gov had no authority over education
 Most ed funding from the state and local gov.
 Fed gov. can identify problems, recommend solutions,
offer some (but never enough) funding, and
encouragement
 Other factors –
# of school districts 130,000 to 16,000
% of teachers in total staff 96% to 86%
amount of school support from local gov. 83% to 43%
population almost doubled
per-student cost increased almost 500%

10. National Reports on American Education
 A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational
Reform (1983) (minimally supported the arts)
 Academic Preparation for College: What Students
Need to Know and Be Able to Do (1983)
 Research based - both reports indicated that the
goals of education needed to be clarified

11. 1990s
 The enactment of federal legislation to adopt
national educational standards
 Provided a way to decide what knowledge students
in all states should have.

12. Goals 2000: Educate America Act
 National Standards in Music Education
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied
repertoire of music
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines
5. Reading and notating music
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
7. Evaluating music and music performances
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and
disciplines outside the arts
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture

13. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) (2001)
 Supports standards-based education reform
 Requires states to develop assessments in basic
skills to be given to all students in certain grades, if
those states are to receive federal funding for
schools
 Standards are set by each individual state
 So, where are we today?

14. Scientific Research Shows….
Music Study Helps Young Minds Develop
 Music is a basic building block of intelligence
 Playing music develops critical neural connections
 Music and other arts involvement helps average
students transform into exemplary students
 Is not always reflected in objective measures such
as testing regimes

15. Research Reveals....
Strong Correlations Between Quality Music
Education in School and ….
 Academic achievement
 Healthy social development
 Preparation for the 21st century workplace
 Quality of a young person’s life

16. Research Reveals…
 Children taking music lessons improved more over the
year on several memory skills tests….
 ….Than did children not taking music lessons

17. High School Music Makers’ Test Scores Higher…
 UCLA tracked 25,000 students over ten years with U.S. Dept.
of Education data
 Music-making students outperformed non-musical peers
 Results same for all socioeconomic groups
 Score higher on SATs
 Average 57 points higher in verbal
 Average 41 points higher in math

18. Music Students are High Achievers in College
 Music majors are better readers
 Music majors are the most successful medical school
applicants

19. Music Making Develops Students in Many Ways
 Better math skills
 Better social skills
Music Is a Core Subject
•Why, then, are arts programs among the first
subjects to be considered for cuts as budgets get tighter?

20. Making the Case
 Arts education opens another way of understanding
the world in which we live.
 Each academic subject presents a way of knowing
and dealing with the world that is different from other
areas.

21. Take a Stand
 Supply facts that supports the study of music to
everyone who influences public policy
 Take the initiative in political leadership
 Don’t give up class time for activities that are
supposedly more worthwhile

22. Take a Stand
 Don’t give up high visibility; showy programs may
help to retain public support
 Don’t offer to do more for less; quality suffers when
teachers are spread too thin
 Ask for the resources to do a good job
 Strive for results based on your own determination
and administrative changes that you can bring about

23. Dealing with Change
 Change is inevitable
 Understand why change is occurring
 May have unforeseen benefits
 Step out of comfort zone
 Find new sources of cheese

24. Implementation
 Cooperation and support of all
 Arts can have an impact on whole schools and entire
communities
 Study, practice, and appreciation of music does
make a difference

25. Make a Difference
 For some – change is inevitable – your cheese will be
moved – so, what should you do?
 Revisit goals – strive for a bright future
 Cope with change by adapting quickly
 Set off in new directions to find new cheese
 Be a star thrower - -

26. One Starfish…..
or Piece of Cheese
Brenda J. Clark, Ph.D.
Presentation for Taylorville
Area Arts Council
Sept. 2, 2010
at a Time