Music Education Advocacy Paper

The future success and prosperity of the United States depends on the development of a
diversely educated citizenry. In contrast, a population that is highly educated in a limited field of
study does not ensure our prospective good fortune. A diverse education with a strong
background in the arts is instrumental to the success of our public education system. A
curriculum that includes music, for example, will greatly enhance the probability that our public
education system will develop the type of citizens the country needs for economic and cultural
advancement. Music education in public schools is accordingly necessary to foster students
personal growth and has been demonstrably shown to increase students resilience, selfregulation, identity, and the understanding of flow, or allowing oneself to become fully
immersed in an artistic endeavor.
Music education programs improve students resiliency. William Beardslee defines
resiliency as good adaptation in the face of severe stress (Beardslee 267). Being able to bounce
back from difficult times is necessary quality for people to have, since life in general is so
unpredictable and often difficult. According to Donna Ford, resilience is strengthened and
nurtured when children have positive relations with peers, family, and community, where they
can find both emotional and physical support (Ford 83). In the music classroom, children form a
community that is typically far more powerful and close-knit than can be formed in other
traditional classrooms. A strong sense of community is established from the beginning because
everyone in the ensemble shares a common goal of creating a piece where teamwork is necessary
and intrinsic to the outcome. Community is also formed through the sense of communication and
listening that happens among the students in a music class. All members of the group must listen
to each other at all times in order to play exactly together. In all walks of life thereafter, students
are able to fall back on the resilience they learned through a sense of community.
In addition to resilience, self-regulation is personal trait that can be fostered through
music education. According to Susan Baum in the Arts Education Policy Review, The process
of self-observation, standard setting, self reaction, and self-efficacy occur naturally during talentdevelopment lessons (Baum 33). Self-regulation is cultivated through the inherent need to
practice music outside of class. In addition, students in music programs are motivated to set their
own goals for learning because there is a common ambition to improve as musicians from the
onset of the class. Students are therefore able to assess themselves more accurately after music
class because they understand their goals and can adjust their practice regimen accordingly. Also,
the reward of superior sound quality provides instant gratification for hard work in music class,
so students are naturally inspired to increase their effort in their musical endeavors. .
Resilience and self-regulation lead intrinsically to an increased sense of identity. During a
childs formative years, identity is dependent on being accepted by others. This can be
established through music education. A child, who was a subject of a study led at University of
Connecticut, said Its a big part of the music knowing that you have somebody that shares
something with you (Dreck, Baum, and McCartney 71). An instant connection is established
between two students who share a passion for music. Once this commonality is established, they
are able to share each others ideas with one another with confidence. Also, students senses of
identity are strengthened when discussing the emotions behind music during class. Students are
asked to think about how a piece of music makes them feel, and through this they are able to
learn about who they are as people.

A final reason to support universal music education in our public schools is the unique
ability of music to teach students about the transcendent feeling of flow. Experiencing flow is a
state of total absorption in ones actions. The music classroom gives students the chance to have
this opportunity. Dreck, Baum, and McCartneys research says that The time they spent in arts
classes, rehearsals, and performances appeared to give them a satisfaction unsurpassed by other
pursuits and aspects of their lives (Dreck, Baum, and McCartney 70). Even though most
students in public schools do not pursue music after high school, it is nevertheless critically
important to participate in something the student truly loves and can completely embrace without
reservation. Knowing what it feels like to be passionate about an art form like music allows the
student to attain a level of transcendence, even ecstasy that is simply not available in the
traditional classroom. Though they may not be future musicians, students who experience flow in
the music classroom can apply the feeling toward whichever occupation they choose as adults.
Resilience, self-regulation, identity, and the ability to experience flow are just a few of
countless benefits that music education in the public schools provides students. Music education
is unique because these qualities are strengthened perhaps more than other public school core
classes. Music education is necessary in the public schools to enhance students personal growth
and create a better future for all of us.

Works Cited
Baum, Susan. "Transferring Individual Self-Regulation Processes from Arts to Academics." Arts
Education Policy Review 98.4 (1997): 32-9. ProQuest. Web. 28 Sep. 2014.
Beardslee, William R. "The Role Of Self-Understanding In Resilient Individuals." American
Journal of Orthopsychiatry 59.2 (1989): 266-78. Wiley Online Library. Web. 28 Sept. 2014.
Dreck, Barry, Susan Baum, and Heather McCartney. "Artistic Talent Development for Urban
Youth: The Promise and the Challenge." Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on
Learning (1999). Web. 28 Sep. 2014.
Ford, Donna Y. "Nurturing Resilience in Gifted Black Youth." Roeper Review 17.2 (1994): 8085. Print.