Arts education cuts are being justified on the basis of protecting the core subjects: English, Math, Sciences, and Social Science. For example, in New Hampshire, a bill was filed at the beginning of the year to remove arts, world languages, and some other subjects off the list of subjects defined as “an adequate education.” [1] The bill has fortunately stalled in the house. The Daily Herald reports that in Elgin, Illinois this year, nearly $30 million was cut from the budget, including the elimination of art, music, and gym for kindergarten students; high school choir; middle school music technique; and high school bands. At the national level, the Department of Education’s $40 million Arts in Education program was cut in the spring of this year as part of a stopgap spending bill to keep the government open. National cuts will only make it easier for state and local governments to cut the arts from their curriculum.
We are being short-sighted when we let music and the arts go this easily from our children’s lives. The No Child Left Behind Act has put an inordinate amount of pressure on mandated standardized testing, which further subordinates the arts from the core subjects. Yet, recent studies show that music education has been demonstrated to improve test scores as well as promote well-rounded students. Quoting Lester and Kmitch: “Among them, a 2007 Northwestern University study found that music training may enhance verbal communication skills as much or more as learning phonics. In 2002, the College Board found that students involved in public school music programs scored an average of 107 points higher on the SAT than their peers.” [3] A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education study found that students who played instruments through middle and high school “show significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12.” They also have a greater ability to learn new languages or enrich their native tongues. [4]
Being successful in life involves more than rote memorization. “…students whose education is dominated by rote learning will not be prepared for ‘the jobs of tomorrow.’” [5] Creativity, discipline, passion, commitment, analysis, planning, goal setting, risk-taking, fortitude, persistence, and teamwork are considered key life skills valuable to businesses and to society. Music is particularly adept at teaching all of these life skills and leadership qualities through involvement in band and chorus. Quoting Eich: “Theater, music and the fine arts all require, undeniably, an above-average level of creativity. But they also require the type of discipline, passion and commitment that can be extremely valuable in many areas of business that are now floundering.” [6] He further comments that the band directors of three renowned marching bands were “excellent teachers who instilled pride and enthusiasm. They taught their band members how to attain excellence, even perfection, in performance, and how analysis, planning, goal setting, discipline and love of the arts are lifetime skills, applicable to success in any endeavor.” [7] Because of the need for synchronization of many instruments into one sound, bands teach and epitomize teamwork. Hao Huang, relating music to the teachings of Confucius: “Developing artistic skill and sensibility is essential to becoming an ethical human being.” [8]
Cutting music and arts education hits the poor the hardest. The wealthy can afford private lessons for their children if they so desire. Tina Beveridge, as reported by Tom Jacobs: “If we marginalize all non-tested subjects, we create a system in which only the affluent members of our society have access to the most comprehensive and well-rounded educations, which widens the achievement gap rather than closes it.” [9] This works against the intentions of “No Child Left Behind.” The Atlanta Post reports that low income children, especially minorities suffer the most from arts education cuts. They further report that only 26% of young black adults received a childhood arts education as opposed to more than 50% in 1982. The percentage among whites only dropped 5% in the same period. So minorities not only suffer from losing the opportunity to learn critical life skills, but in the absence of a worthwhile activity, they may turn to less desirable activities. [10] So cuts in music and arts education worsens the polarization between the affluent and the poor.
Retaining music and arts education in our curriculum provides an excellent means for teaching our children critical life skills essential for their well-being and well-roundedness. These life skills are also essential for the future success of our businesses and organizations, especially apropos as the United States struggles to stay competitive in the world economy. As we continue to assess budget cuts and the challenges we face in the current economy, we need to carefully assess the impact of the cuts we make in programs for unintended consequences. In fact, when we consider the positive impact on humanity of a good, well rounded education, we may want to consider increasing, rather than decreasing our investment in our children, for our children are humanity's future.
References:
[3] Ibid.
[5] http://www.miller-mccune.com/culture-society/arts-education-promotes-emotional-intelligence-6883/
[7] Ibid.
[9] See [5].
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