Music Education plays an essential role in the development of every child and every child should be given the opportunity to benefit from music education in their lives.
Music is one of man's greatest achievements and it plays a vital role in our survival as a species! Music consumption, partiicipation and appreciation present themselves in a variety of ways. Whether it's the backyard campfire guitarist, the rush hour karaoke hero, or the virtuosic concert pianist - music seeks each of us out and affects our souls in ways that are personal, meaningful and necessary.
We find ourselves living in a world where the value of immediacy is significant. Successful citizens are those who are able to think and perform quickly and respond dynamically to their immediate environment. Music makers of all ages learn to operate without hesitation in this very realm of immediacy. Music happens in real time and the cognitive processes that are essential to successful music making are unique, real, and without question, rigorous.
Some shared thoughts from me and my friends:
- Music is essential to human life, thus studying and understanding music improves one’s quality of life. It is worthy of study in its own right and for the other meaningful benefits that it offers us as humans.
- Music is a valued part of culture and a birthright of every child. Providing students with access to high quality music education prepares them for success in society. (NAfME)
- Music education furthers the development of non-musical intelligence in ways that are scientifically proven, time and time again. Students who study and achieve in music enjoy other rich academic benefits.
- Music education forces rigorous thinking to take place in a collaborative social environment. It connects a multitude of cognitive and physical processes, engaging both the left and right sides of the brain in real time.
In 2007 I completed my master's degree at Ithaca College in Music Education. I was charged with creating a process-folio of my work. I like it and never took it down.