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Tevis Tucker

Ms. Wolcott
ENC1102
18/3/15
Music Education: The Last Stand
What music classes teach is incredibly valuable. From learning how to work with others,
to becoming more confident, to dedicating time to something bigger than a single individual;
music gives students keys to doors they dont even know exist yet. But no matter how much
evidence there is to show that music builds better and smarter children, lawmakers around the
country still think it is an extraneous subject. Because of the expensive price tag that comes with
music programs, many are disappearing from public schools all across the US. These programs
that are keeping kids off the streets, building leaders, improving test scores, and developing
lifelong friendships; gone. This bibliography explores the vast benefits of music education in
America, along with learning about the many obstacles that stand in musics way.

Archer, Jeff. "Budget Cuts Strike Sour Note For Music Educators." Education Week 15.29
(1996): 8. Academic Search Premier. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. Jeff Archer, English author,
former politician, and Member of Parliament, gives insight on how the budget battle isnt
just a recent one. Back in 1996, parents had to pay $30 a month for their child to be in
band. Parents were stuck personally funding what many thought was a necessity.
However parents dont have to pay $30 a month so their child can participate in science
experiments at school, so why would they pay a monthly fee for band. These budget cuts
caused less music educators per student. Instead of one for every 400 kids, like
recommended, some areas would only have one educator for every 1,400 kids. The failed

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tax-hikes that caused the drastic measures seemed to be looked at as an increase in taxes
instead of an investment in their kids.
Bernard, Rhoda. "The Rewards Of Teaching Music In Urban Settings." Music Educators Journal
96.3 (2010): 53-57. Professional Development Collection. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. Rhoda
Bernard, chair of the music education department at the Boston Conservatory, knows that
there are positive stories that can come out of the tough teaching environment that can
exist in inner cities. Urban settings make it tough for music programs because of lack of
instruments, lack of parental/administrative support, and difficulties in classroom
management. This article looks at five music teachers from two large cities. Something
that they all agree on is that there can be deep satisfaction and pride in teaching these
students in that tough situation; all one has to do is recognize potential, provide
opportunities, and build relationships. They all concur that by doing that, there are
infinite possibilities between teacher and student, and the pros will begin to outweigh the
cons that many see in the job.
Catterall, James S. The Consequences of Curtailing Music Education PBS.org. (2013). Web.
18 Mar. 2015. James S. Catterall, Professor Emeritus and past Chair of the Faculty at the
UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, talks about how the
consequences of cutting music is far worse, and different, than the benefits of keeping it.
The benefits music can have on other core subject areas are well documented, but those
subject areas would not suffer without music. The nation should not be concerned about
the survival of mathematics or average IQ scores because of the absence of music. Kids
dont join music to become smarter or to do better on tests. What would be lost is the
connections that music can form between people, the opportunity for expression in an

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otherwise barren environment, and the passion that playing an instrument and performing
with others can that music fulfills. Although stripping music out of schools wouldnt
necessarily prevent students from pursuing music at all, it would definitely make it much
more difficult, especially for lower income families.
Church, Ellen Booth. "Math & Music: The Magical Connection. (Cover Story)." Scholastic
Parent & Child 8.3 (2000): 50. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 18 Mar.
2015. Ellen Booth Church, a former professor of early childhood education, an author of
numerous education books, and an educational consultant and keynote speaker
throughout the country, made a magical connection between music and math. She
noticed they used a lot of similar parts of the brain and suggested that strengthening one
would strengthen the other. Also, when combining the two, both hemispheres of the
brain get involved. Music also requires a strong understanding of math as is. Music is
based on counting and rhythms (which are essentially just patterns).
Collins, Anita. How Playing an Instrument Benefits your Brain. YouTube.com. TED-Ed. 22
Jul. 2014. Online video clip. 18 Mar. 2015. Anita Collins, who got her PhD from the
University of Melbourne in the area of Neuroscience and Music Education, created a
TED Talk lesson on how playing an instrument benefits the brain. Playing music requires
an incredible amount of brain functioning from multiple parts of the brain. The visual,
auditory, and motor cortexes are most active. Both hemispheres are involved in helping
play a musical instrument, and that noticeably strengthens the volume and activity in the
corpus callosum (bridge of neurons between the two hemispheres). A stronger corpus
callosum allows for the brain to transmit information faster and more efficiently around
the brain, which can be why musicians are very good at solving problems. Musicians are

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also known for having much better memory (which just so happens to be a very
important aspect in music).
Fang, Marina. Public Schools Slash Arts Education And Turn To Private Funding.
Thinkprogress.org. (2013). Web. 18 Mar. 2015. Marina Fang, news editor and journalist,
wrote about the mass lay off of art teachers in Chicago and Philadelphia. Private funding
is becoming necessary because of the always shrinking federal contribution to the arts.
But even when the second largest school district in the country (in Los Angeles,
California) votes to make the arts a core subject (which prevents it from being cut and
increases funding), private funding is still needed to keep everything afloat.
Fehr, Rosalind C. "Battling Music Education Cuts." Teaching Music 2004: 13. Academic
OneFile. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. Rosalind C. Fehr, chairman of music education department
at the University of Iowa, wrote this article talking about how the Metro School District
in Nashville, TN had to cut $15 million from the school budget. Officials asked the
community what programs they wanted schools to keep the most, and the choice was
overwhelmingly music classes. This communal support for music education in the school
system, even at this small sample size, provides hope in the battle against budget cuts.
Fiese, Richard K, and Nicholas J. DeCarbo. "Urban Music Education." Music Educators Journal
81.6 (1995): 27. Professional Development Collection. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. Richard K.
Fiese, assistant professor of music education at the University of Houston, and Nicholas
J. DeCarbo, assistant dean and associate professor of music education at the University of
Miami, found some highly respected urban music educators across the country, and sent
out short surveys to be filled out voluntarily. Twenty of twenty-eight educators
responded, ten males and ten females. They taught at schools from California, Colorado,

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Georgia, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee and all had varying degrees of
teaching experience and level of their education. All teachers had unique situations, but
something that was very evident was their overwhelming dedication to the success and
enjoyment of their students. Among their responses, they mentioned not being prepared
to teach in the urban setting. They said something that helps is giving the students input
in how the classroom is run. They also said that forming relationships with not on the
parents, but with the community, helped their success in the classroom. Lastly, they
emphasized how their job goes far beyond teaching music. They are building future
members of society.
Fiske, Edward B., Washington, DC. President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, and
Washington, DC. Arts Education Partnership. "Champions Of Change: The Impact Of
The Arts On Learning." (1999): ERIC. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. Edward B. Fiske, founder
and editor of the Fiske Guide to Colleges and is a former education editor of the New
York Times, compiled a lengthy report that combined seven major studies that proved
being involved with the arts improves learning and achievement, along with significant
improvements on standardized tests. This is one of the fundamental studies that contains
a plethora of data backing up the validity of the arts improving academic achievement.
Hawkins, Tyleah. Will Less Art and Music in the Classroom Really Help Students Soar
Academically? The Washington Post. (2012). 18 Mar. 2015. Tyleah Hawkins, graduate
of Howard University and writer for the Washington Post, writes about how art programs
are struggling across the nation, but especially in low-income areas (where there arent
private donations that can help lessen the blow). These programs that tend to be the first
causalities of budget cuts have many benefits to other academic areas, though. Low-

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income students actively involved in the arts are three times more likely to get a B.A.
Also, low-income students that dont take any art courses are five times more likely not
to graduate high school. The arts can be a form of inspiration and expression for children
from tough neighborhoods and can improve their outlook on education as a whole.
Jorgensen, Estelle R. "School Music Education And Change." Music Educators Journal 96.4
(2010): 21-27. Academic Search Premier. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. Estelle R. Jorgensen,
professor of music education at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, talks about
the abundant amount of challenges with music education (like ever changing
requirements, standardized testing, lack of freedom, low salary, long hours, funding cuts
etc.), but also provides possible actions that can be taken to combat them. The most
important action is for fellow music educators to talk to each other about what they want
to accomplish and the goals they have for their students. A unified approach is needed in
this field. Lastly, being willing to work with others, and remembering that the job of a
music educator has a chance to make a difference in peoples lives are essential to the
individual and overall success of music education.
Morrison, Steven J. "Music Students and Academic Growth." Music Educators Journal 1994: 33.
JSTOR Journals. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. Steven J. Morrison, professor and chair of music
education at the University of Washington, found that music students do well in areas of
academics and leadership. He used a 18,221 student study of high school sophomores to
notice these trends. When comparing the minority (22.3% that were music students) and
the majority (77.7% that werent music students), he found that music students got a
much higher percentage of honors and academic awards, as well as receiving a high
percentage of As and Bs in the classroom.

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O'Connor, John and Sarah Gonzalez. How Florida Schools Are Coping With Budget Cuts.
StateImpact Florida. NPR.org. (2011). Web. 18 Mar. 2015. John OConnor, graduate of
Allegheny College and the University of Maryland, and Sarah Gonzalez, graduate of
Mills College, talk about how budget cuts are going to have to impact much more than
music and the arts. Bus stops are merging, teachers are being laid off, thermostats in
schools are going up, textbooks are being eliminated, athletics are being cut, and a
plethora of others are on the chopping block as well. As school budgets continue to
shrink, school boards are having a harder and harder time getting by. Music and the arts
dont seem to be staying in many places as budget cuts are eliminating all music and art
teachers altogether.
Pergola, Joseph. "Music Education in Crisis." School Band & Orchestra Feb. 2014: 10+. Music
Index. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. Joseph T. Pergola is a retired Director of Music, Art and
Theater Education for the William Floyd School District in Long Island New York. In his
article about music education suffering he gives great insight, but cites little facts (mostly
because he has experienced these events in person). He explains that The largest source
of funding for public schools comes from property taxes. In the current recession, people
find themselves in financial crisis. People are not buying homes and, in too many cases,
they are abandoning or losing their homes to foreclosure. In this type of fiscal
environment, state and local governments do not collect the revenue necessary to
properly fund local public schools (Pergola). Unfortunately as state and federal money
to schools continues to decrease, the cost of operating schools continue to rise. It is
important for people to understand why is it is so difficult for so many individuals in
decision-making positions to understand the importance of maintaining a strong music

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program. The answer is simple: we must face the fact that we, collectively and as
individuals, have not done a good enough job communicating the value of music
education for our children's future and for our nation. We have not effectively
communicated and convinced the academic world, society in general, the people who
control the levers of influence and the people who make the critical decisions regarding
educational funding for the arts (Pergola).
Petress, Ken. "The Importance Of Music Education." Education 1 (2005): 112. Academic
OneFile. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. Ken Petress, emeritus professor of communications and
education at University of Maine, believes music is one of the most important subjects
taught in schools. But, high cost of sheet music and instruments (and repairing them) is a
big issue with funding music education. Despite the funding, people dont understand
that music education provides a wide variety of utilitarian values that can be transferred
to any aspect of life. Self-discipline, that is required when practicing, receiving criticism,
and performing a piece of music; dedication, that is required when students spend time
and effort to perfect their craft; self-confidence, that is developed from playing solos and
entertaining audiences; humility, that is gained when the student realizes that they, the
performer, are not the center of the attention, but the music and the composers vision is;
teamwork, that is required when working with multiple musicians on a piece; and many
other core values. In addition to values, Petress says that music is beneficial to students
in four categories. The first, is success in society. Petress proves this by first stating a
study conducted in Texas shows that band students had the lowest lifetime and current
use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs, and then by stating that music programs are a
solution to teen violence and improve the quality of life in communities. The second

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category is success in school. He cites a study that shows musically involved students
received more academic honors than non-musically involved students. He also cites that
musicians have higher SAT scores and are less disruptive in class. The third category is
success in developing intelligence. Petress states that musical practice improves attention
and abstract reasoning throughout life. The final category is success in life. Music is
self-gratifying, yet also gives immense pleasure to others. It can bring people together in
a world where most things bring people apart. Top CEOs also agree that music education
better prepares workers for the 21st century workplace. Music education is not a luxury, it
is a necessity.
Slaton, Emily Dawn. "Collegiate Connections: Music Education Budget Crisis." Music
Educators Journal 99.1 (2012): 33-35. ERIC. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. Emily Dawn Slaton, a
music education major at Texas Lutheran University, wrote this article that focuses on
how music education struggled to survive throughout the 2007-2009 recession. Less
funding, less music teachers being hired (teacher-student ratios became very unbalanced
and didnt allow for the teacher to form close relationships with students), and nothing
was being done to combat it. The benefits of music education far outweigh the cost, but
that was being overlooked. People wanted money to be used in other ways, and in ways
that were more relevant to the real world. The problem is that getting rid of the arts
would counteract this. Students in the arts do better in school. Music becomes a creative
outlet and enhances all learning skills at a young age. Students in all-state band and choir
have an average SAT score that is 400 points higher than other students. Keeping music
alive in schools could determine how educated our future workforce is.

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Wood, Mark. "Music to our ears: school budget cuts are claiming valuable music programs as
victims--until rescued by Electrify Your Strings!" USA Today (Magazine) 2012: 34.
Academic OneFile. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. Mark Wood, an Emmy Award-winning
composer, is the creator of Electrify Your Strings! and a founding member of the TransSiberian Orchestra, provides great detailed facts about the decline in budgeting for music
education across America. He states that In 2010, K-12 budgets were reduced
$1,800,000,000 nationwide, according to estimates by the National Association of State
Budget Offices (Wood). This has caused some schools in states like Arizona to cut
music classes to once a week. Wood mentions that music should be equal to other
programs such as math, sports and language because they all are forms of self-expression,
but music has fallen into the pitfall of budget cuts because it is believed to be subservient.
Wood explains that there is A study published in Psychology of Music notes that
students who are exposed to musical training exhibit superior cognitive performance in
reading skills over their nonmusically trained peers. Music can make you smarter
(Wood). The issue is that music has been proven to be beneficial to individuals because it
involves mathematical skills, social/communication skills, teamwork, artistry/creativity
however there is little acknowledgement and awareness of the issue. Mark Wood is
taking this budget crisis on full force as the creator for Electrify Your Strings (EYS).
EYSs has a series of programs to ignite a fire in students, teachers, and local
communities by injecting a dose of energy and much-needed funding into school music
programs. Already EYS has raised over $1,000,000 for music programs across the U.S.
and continues to push for music appreciation.

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Young, Terrence E., Jr. Keeping the Arts Alive. (2005). Print. 18 Mar. 2015. Terrence E.
Young, author and instructor of library science at the University of New Orleans,
describes when budgets are tightened, art programs are considered extraneous and
expendable. Despite overwhelming evidence that shows the arts develop critical thinking
and motivational skills needed for academic and social success, the arts are being killed
in schools. Teachers can use music and art to help students learn content in their core
subjects as well. One of the great strengths of art is their ability to reach inside us and
arouse our creativity (Young). Schools that are thinking about cutting the arts arent
considering how getting rid of the arts wont help schools reach their goal of high
academic achievement, but rather hurt them.

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