By: Jake Hutchinson

It’s no secret that public schools are receiving less money every school year and with that come hard decisions from school administrations across the nation. Locally, because of serious ballot measures in Oregon resulting in large budget cuts, schools must reduce costs in some way, shape or form and music education is the first subject on the chopping block. Just ask Al Villanueva, choir teacher of Winston Churchill High School in Eugene, Oregon about the hardships of being a music educator in today’s day and age. He refers being a music educator as “more of a survivor” and that the district staff has “shrunk sizably within the last several years.” Or ask Tamaryah Williams, a drum player from Jefferson High School who cannot pursue his passions because Jefferson no longer offers music classes during school hours.

However, if the school district is unable to fund these programs, students are up to doing so themselves. Multiple campaigns from the PTSA have kept the Jefferson High after-school music program alive. Tamaryah has started a GoFundMe page in order to receive new instruments and to pay for transportation costs. Stories like Tamaryah’s have kept music education in the picture but sustaining such a program is bound to end at some point in the near future. It’s time for music educators and students to show why music education is an integral part of the educational experience of young adults and children.

According to Schellenberg’s research, music education has been proven to increase the IQ in young adults and children. School administrations have implemented common core classes in order to have a standard of student intelligence. If music education can be proven to increase IQ, shouldn’t schools be looking into keeping such programs in their system? Furthermore, an assessment of multiple studies by Susan Hallam proves that music education not only increases IQ but also improves the emotional and physical well-being of students. Music education students not only learn to improve themselves but develop teamwork skills. Benefits include leadership abilities, which can greatly help students in the future, especial those coming from poor families and neighborhoods.

On the national scale, the question is now whether the school system will value music education as highly as common core classes. Benefits of music education, according to research, are shown to have many benefits and the dispute is whether the school system is making the right cuts for their students. We see many stories across the nation of how band students have overcome unreasonable situations and how they have continued to thrive under the seemingly impossible conditions of public fundings for the arts.

Sources:

Hallam, Susan. “The power of music: Its impact on the intellectual, social and personal development of children and young people.” International Journal of Music Education 28.3 (2010): 269-89. Web.

Oregonian/OregonLive, Lizzy Acker | The. “Sophomore at Jefferson tries to revive band program through GoFundMe.” OregonLive.com. N.p., 07 Oct. 2016. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.

Schellenberg, E. Glenn. “Music Lessons Enhance IQ.” Psychological Science 15.8 (2004): 511-14. Web.

Wasserman, Savannah. “The Future of Music Education in the 4J District, Eugene, Ore.” WordPress. N.p., n.d. Web.