Mr. Krohn's website
Monticello High School Bands
Why is music valuable?
Click the links, watch videos, and look at graphics below to see how wonderful music education is for your students.
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#1 Precision, discipline and focus: In addition to fostering the development of discipline, music enables children to learn precision and accuracy. I know of no other form of education that can help students learn this kind of focused precision at a young age. Students learn to pay close attention to exactly how a particular skill looks, sounds and feels. The brain learns to notice more detail.
#2 Patience: Students gain the valuable quality of patience, especially with a more complex instrument like violin or piano. Each skill requires hundreds of repetitions to become easy. Students must have the confidence that they will get it if they just keep practicing.
#3 Problem-solving and persistence: Practicing is always about problem-solving. Why do I make a mistake here or why does it sound squeaky? What solutions can I come up with to fix the mistake? Good practice techniques require creativity and patience to identify and solve the problem. From this, students learn persistence. No passage is impossible to play correctly. It’s just a matter of finding the right way of practicing.
#4 Fine motor skills: I have seen the development of fine motor skills in my violin students, particularly the ability to isolate certain muscles and joints as well as the independent use of each finger.
#5 Healthy habits: Learning a musical instrument requires good posture and the ability to keep muscles relaxed even while doing something challenging. Students also strengthen muscles and gain flexibility, both of which contribute to overall health.
#6 Memory: As music is memorized, the capabilities of memory are greatly enhanced. Education then becomes a matter of drawing conclusions and making connections between concepts rather than an exertion to merely memorize all the material. The younger a child can begin learning music, the greater the benefit for their short- and long-term memory.
#7 Creativity: The wonderful thing about music is that, although it requires precision and accuracy in terms of rhythms, notes and playing technique, when it comes to interpretation, there is so much room for individuality. The skill of improvisation allows even greater creativity. Students learn to think for themselves and make their own artistic choices rather than being told how to do everything.
#8 Cultural Understanding: Students are introduced to music of different cultures and from different times. This exposure is useful for kids to learn about and appreciate the differences and individuality of all people.
#9 Confidence and work ethic: Students learn that if they apply themselves intelligently, efficiently, and persistently they achieve the desired result.
For children, music provides many, many benefits. Experts agree, there are lots of good things about letting your child learn to play an instrument. Here are 10 reasons why your child should put down the remote and pick up a musical instrument.
1. It will boost their brain power
Want to give your child a mental advantage? Music can do that. "More and more studies show a correlation between higher academic achievement with children who are exposed to music," says children's music specialist Meredith LeVande of MonkeyMonkeyMusic.com. "Music simply stimulates parts of the brain that are related to reading, math, and emotional development."
2. It will improve their memory
Where did that shoe go? That's a question asked far too many times in far too many households with kids. Help your kids remember more (and learn more!) with music. "Further research has shown that participation in music at an early age can help improve a child's learning ability and memory by stimulating different patterns of brain development," says Maestro Eduardo Marturet, a conductor, composer and musical director for the Miami Symphony Orchestra.
3. It helps them socially
Picking up an instrument can also help your child break out of their social shell too, experts say. "Socially, children who become involved in a musical group or ensemble learn important life skills, such as how to relate to others, how to work as a team and appreciate the rewards that come from working together, and the development of leadership skills and discipline," says Marturet, who also oversees the MISO Young Artist program in South Florida, which allows young musicians to hone their musical skills as part of a professional orchestra.
4. It's a confidence builder
Are there any areas of life that aren't enhanced by having good confidence? Probably not. And if you want your child to develop their confidence, learning to play a musical instrument can help.
"They find that they can develop a skill by themselves, that they can get better and better," says Elizabeth Dotson-Westphalen, a music teacher and performer.
5. It teaches patience
We live in a world of instant gratification, but real life demands having patience. When you are playing in a band or orchestra (and most musicians do), you have to be willing to wait your turn to play otherwise the sound is a mess. That inadvertently teaches patience. "You need to work together in a group to make music," says Dotson-Westphalen.
6. It can help them connect
Who doesn't sometimes feel a little disconnected from their lives? Music can be a much-needed connection for kids (and adults too!). "It can satisfy the need to unwind from the worries of life, but unlike the other things people often use for this purpose, such as excessive eating, drinking, or TV or aimless web browsing, it makes people more alive and connected with one another," says Michael Jolkovski, a psychologist who specializes in musicians.
7. It's constant learning
In some pursuits, you can never truly learn everything there is to know. Music is like that. "It is inexhaustible -- there is always more to learn," says Jolkovski.
8. It's a great form of expression
People pay a lot of lip-service to expressing yourself. But how can kids really do that? One great way is through the arts -- like music. "It gives pleasure and expresses nuances of emotional life for which there are no words," says Jolkovski.
9. It teaches discipline
There's this old joke that begins "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" The answer? "Practice, practice, practice." To improve in music, you have to not only do well in classes, but devote time to practicing outside of the lessons too. That requires discipline. "Exposing kids to musical instruments is the key. They are naturally curious and excited about them -- and the discipline that parents AND kids learn by sticking with it is a lesson in itself," says Mira Stulberg-Halpert of 3D Learner Inc., who works with children who have ADHD.
10. It fosters creativity
Above all, playing music -- particularly as kids get to more advanced levels in it -- is a creative pursuit. Creatively is good for the mind, body and soul.
10 Reasons Why
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1. Children who study music tend to have larger vocabularies and more advanced reading skills than their peers who do not participate in music lessons.
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2. Children with learning disabilities or dyslexia who tend to lose focus with more noise could benefit greatly from music lessons.
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3. Music programs are constantly in danger of being cut from shrinking school budgets even though they're proven to improve academics.
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4. Children who study a musical instrument are more likely to excel in all of their studies, work better in teams, have enhanced critical thinking skills, stay in school, and pursue further education.
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5. In the past, secondary students who participated in a music group at school reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs).
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6. Schools with music programs have an estimated 90.2% graduation rate and 93.9% attendance rate compared to schools without music education, which average 72.9% graduation and 84.9% attendance.
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7. Regardless of socioeconomic status or school district, students who participate in high-quality music programs score 22 better on English and 20% better on math standardized exams.
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8. Regardless of socioeconomic status or school district, students who participate in high-quality music programs score 22 better on English and 20% better on math standardized exams.
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9. Much like expert technical skills, mastery in arts and humanities is closely correlated to high earnings.
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10. Young children who take music lessons show different brain development and improved memory over the course of a year, compared to children who do not receive musical training
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11. A 2004 Stanford University study showed that mastering a musical instrument improves the way the human brain processes parts of spoken language.
Sources
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1
"Statistical benefits of music in education." Statistical-Benefits-Of-Music-In-Education. http://www.areteacademy.org/blog/statistical-benefits-of-music-in-education (accessed July 17, 2014).
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2
"Statistical benefits of music in education." Statistical-Benefits-Of-Music-In-Education. http://www.areteacademy.org/blog/statistical-benefits-of-music-in-education (accessed July 17, 2014).
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3
"Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, 1999-2000 and 2009-2010",National Center for Education Statistics, 2012. Web Accessed February 2014.
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"Statistical benefits of music in education." Statistical-Benefits-Of-Music-In-Education. http://www.areteacademy.org/blog/statistical-benefits-of-music-in-education (accessed July 17, 2014).
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"Music Education Research." Music Education Research. http://americanchildrensorchestras.org/index.php/music-education-research.html (accessed July 17, 2014).
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6
"Partners In Learning." The Benefits of Fine Arts and Physical Education. http://performancepyramid.miamioh.edu/node/1047 (accessed July 17, 2014).
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7
"SOUNDS Academy." Why Music Education?. http://www.soundsacademy.org/sounds-blog/why-music-education.html (accessed July 17, 2014).
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8
"Statistical benefits of music in education." Statistical-Benefits-Of-Music-In-Education. http://www.areteacademy.org/blog/statistical-benefits-of-music-in-education (accessed July 17, 2014).
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9
"Music, Dance and Drama Program (Ngoma Youths)." Volunteer in Uganda Affordable Placements Safari Adventures Beacon of Hope Uganda. http://beaconofhopeug.org/?page_id=808 (accessed July 17, 2014).
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10
"The Benefits of the Study of Music." National Association for Music Education. http://musiced.nafme.org/files/2012/04/benefits_of_music.pdf (accessed July 17, 2014).
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11
"The Benefits of the Study of Music." National Association for Music Education. http://musiced.nafme.org/files/2012/04/benefits_of_music.pdf (accessed July 17, 2014).