When school budgets fall on hard times, the arts are always the first to be cut. Already, too many school districts know this from first-hand experience. In the state of Kansas, for example, over 185 music education positions were cut out in just the period from 2008-2011. Now, Kansas and other states across the country have announced that more cuts are on the way.
At first glance, the nation seems to be doing a decent job of providing youth with music education. According to a 1999-2000 study from theNational Center for Education (this is the most recent study available), 94% of elementary schools and 90% of high schools in the United States offer music education. These statistics do not, however, indicate the number of music educators, the quality of the education, nor how many students at the schools are actually being educated. According to the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, upwards of 1/3 of elementary public school students in the US do not have any music education.
Not surprisingly, it is the low-income areas which get music education cut from schools first. Studies indicate not only that low-income areas are getting less access to music education, but also that their music education is of a lower quality than higher-income schools.
Opponents to music education budget cuts make appeals on the behalf of music, citing meaningless facts like “music makes you smarter” or “children who study music have higher SAT scores.” While these may be positive arguments on behalf of saving music in school, they inadvertently are dismissing music education by saying that music is only important because it enhances other aspects of learning. Instead, we should be advocating for music education as something which is equally as important to learning biology or mathematics. If school districts tried to cut math from the program, they would be met with massive protest – not to mention legal action. Yet, not all students go on to use biology in their careers just like not all students will become musicians. So why are music and other arts always the first to go?
There is more than ample evidence to support the importance of music education in schools. Music education helps students learn collaboration, improves cognitive skills, teaches cultural, and promotes self-discipline. Thanks to integrated teaching methods, music education now helps students grasp technology and learn skills which can be applied to all aspects of life. Those students who do choose to pursue careers in the arts will be furthering our cultural identity, something of invaluable importance.
In order to save music education, advocates need to start promoting the importance of music education in its own right – not just as something which exists to enhance other parts of education. The same applies to other art education programs in schools. As we can see from experience, once these programs go, it is difficult for them to come back and our children suffer in the meantime.