Music Advocacy Statement When asked to define Jazz music the late Louis Armstrong stated, If you have

to ask, you will never know. Many people always ask why music? and more importantly why does it need to be in our schools? Some things cannot be understood until one personally has experienced it or witnessed the effects that music has in a students development. As educators we are here to support the 21st century learner and prepare them for the world ahead. The workplace dynamic is changing and individuals are being required to go beyond the minimum in the areas of innovation, collaboration, and leadership in order to stay marketable. Music is a medium through which these 21st century values and new skill sets can be fostered and developed so students will find success in the modern workplace. Employers such as Raymond Hartfield of AT&T are beginning to recognize this and are encouraging involvement in the arts. He states, We look for artists because those are the people who are going to fill 21st century jobs. They have to know the science to comprehend but they have to go beyond the science to serve the customer. Music creates this ability to go above and beyond and think outside of the box. So many connections can be made between music and the attributes that will translate into the skills students will need to succeed in the real world. Connections like the discipline of learning an instrument or the art of collaborating in a band, which all develop students into well-rounded individuals and prepares them for the future.

The basic subject areas of math, science, language and social all lead to higher cognitive function and any development in one can lead to improvement in another. This is the same for music. It is a basic subject and can greatly influence how students perform in other areas. Skills learned in music, such as creative thought and spatial reasoning abilities, enhance a students capacity to think abstractly in a variety of situations. For example the patterns found in music can relate to those in math and delving into Mozarts history can be a great link to social studies. Now while music does benefit students ability to perform in other subjects Michael Guillot former school principal and Chief Advancement Officer for the North Carolina Symphony brings the true merit of music into perspective with one crucial point, In and of itself art is worthy. If it had no effect on those others it wouldnt really matter. It is a pursuit of quality of life, of personal joy, of meaning. Music is a subject with its own value and can stand alone to improve the lives of all those who participate. Music education provides children with an outlet for their emotions and they learn how to express themselves in healthy ways, which leads to a better quality of life. It engages students and gets them involved with their own learning, as they become members of a community that works together to create something much greater than any one person could have done on their own. In education we want students to learn and develop into their best selves while becoming well-rounded contributing members of society. In todays globalized world we are starting to see students from all different backgrounds, cultures and socio economic circumstances. Public schools provide these diverse groups of students with a place of

common ground where they can learn and explore in a positive, safe environment. Many come from families who cannot afford either the time or money to put their children into extracurricular activities. In a study conducted by the National Endowments for Arts they found that Socially and economically disadvantaged children and teenagers who have high levels of arts engagement or arts learning show more positive outcomes in a variety of areas than their low-arts-engaged peers. That is why it is more crucial than ever that music is taught in schools because it gives educators the greatest opportunity to touch a large amount of lives and expose them to experiences that can set them on a more positive path in life. When one looks at all of these different perspectives combined I think it is clear just how imperative it is that music is a part of any childs education. Many children will never have the opportunity to experience music outside of schools due to socioeconomic or other circumstances so it is our responsibility as educators to make that available to them. Music develops children as individuals and brings out each students unique potential as they are pushed to become better. Finally Music education arms todays students with the 21st century skills and attributes that they need not only to face the challenges of our modern day world, but also to overcome them and find success. That is what music education does for students.