Innovation in Place of Standardization

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent," said Victor Hugo. This speaks for Clive Wearing, a English musician and musicologist in his mid-forties, who suffered a devastating brain infection—herpes encephalitis—which reduced his memory span to only a few seconds. He was featured in a BBC documentary in 1986 by Jonathan Miller titled, Prisoner of Consciousness. Renowned author, Oliver Sack, wrote Clive's wife, Deborah, post illness until he finally went to meet him face to face in the summer of 2005. He was astounded to find that the anticipated man writhing in agony was in fact, a bubbly conversationalist brimming with warmth. How you ask? Music. He was taken off the hard drugs that dulled his senses and was immersed in classical piano, "The structure of the piece, he was held, as if the staves were tramlines and there was only one way to go. He knew exactly where he was because in every phrase there is context implied, by rhythm, key, melody...When the music stopped Clive fell through to the lost place" (209 Musicophilia). This is a man who couldn't remember a passed moment, yet he knew a score through and through. This is the power of music. Music offers a plethora of psychological, emotional, and physical benefits to people of all ages. Despite this, music programs are being cut across the country because of a lack of understanding that music pays for itself. The lack of funding due to a myopic to budget constraints, misappropriation of importance, and disregard for music education needs to be rectified.

In Oliver Sacks' book Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, he wrote, "Anatomists today would be hard put to identify the brain of a visual artist, a writer, or a mathematician—but they could recognize the brain of a professional musician without a moment's hesitation" (94). Using MRI scans, Godfried Schlaug at Harvard compared the sizes of various brain structures, and found the the corpus callosm (the great commissure that connects the two hemispheres of the brain) was enlarged in professional musicians. Those with perfect pitch also had a more developed auditory cortex, planum temporale, and asymmetric enlargement. The anatomical changes correlated with with the age at which the musician started their musical training, and the level of intensity at which they practiced. This study was published in 1995, however there is still discrepancy around the importance of music in academics. It has been scientifically proven nearly two decades ago that music improves brain functionality, yet music programs are continuously being cut. James S. Catterall described music as, "[contributing] to thinking skills and dispositions that show up in cognitive measures, to delectable gains in certain spatial and mathematical capacities, and to early-age measure of intelligence" (Caterall 3). Even the briefest of exposure to classical music can stimulate or enhance mathematical, verbal, and visuospatial abilities in children—the Mozart effect. This ideology that music makes people smarter, sparked interest in music education. What was seen as positive progress was eradicated with a foul act in 2002, "The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act [which] was signed into law in 2002 by President George W. Bush. As the emphasis was placed on core subjects, such as math and reading, funding for art programs decreased significantly" (Metla 3). This made the academic focus solely based on the standardization of schools and students, which devalues and generalizes students as not individual learners, but a standard quota that needs to be met annually.

While some administrators recognize music is important, a majority don't believe it is fundamental to school curriculums. School district leaders are reluctant to lead the charge toward education reform with the arts at the forefront. The reason being that the music program is weak. "Math and English can't be cut, so programs will live on with poor teachers at their helm—but music is different" (Tony 2). Music programs face the challenge of proving themselves to justify their inclusion in the curriculum. Additionally, "many schools in poor neighborhoods are considered low-performing, they face an intense pressure to meet Common Core standards through math and English language tests" (Metla 4). So even if school principals wanted to advocate for music education, they would be in danger of risking their academic standing. Said schools need to be able to be respected as an institution that can show results in standardization, through standards in English and math. Unfortunately because of this, students of low income families rarely get access to professional music in school. Schools—especially in low-income districts—are being starved of the creativity and innovation music education has to offer. Secondly, because there is no recognized art standard, funds don't need to be mandated to keep the arts when budget cuts come around. In fact, "funds have been cut in more than 80 percent of U.S. school districts since 2008" (Boyd 1). Music programs are cut routinely when the economy plummets, because music is expendable and cost heavy when it comes to equipment and damage cost. However contrary to this belief, statistics show that cutting music classes costs districts more then keeping them.

Programs that have imbedded music in school curriculums have been extremely successful in strengthening learning skills and performance. Caitlin Nascher, the Development, Communications, and Operations Manager at Arts to Grow wrote, "In a recent study, from Northwestern University's Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, researchers determined that...music education has the potential to change the way that kids process sounds, thereby improving their reading and language skills" (Nascher 1). It was proven that students who received only one year of music classes didn't exhibit these improvements, but those who got two years did. Music education show therefore be a consistent strong part of students' long-term education. Furthermore, "The scientists tested how classical music and nature sounds affect levels of cortisol and alpha-amylase. The alpha-amylase levels [enzyme in saliva] of people who listened to classical music went back to normal more quickly compared to the people listening to nature sounds" (Jewell 3). In simpler terms, classical music reduced stress in students who me listened to it while conducting an oral presentation and solving complicated math problems off paper. This is further proof that music increases work performance, by not only making retaining and learning knowledge easier, but also reducing stress levels that can hinder academic performance.

In conclusion, music education needs to be implemented in school curriculums in order to provide the best possible spectrum of education and benefits for students. Valeriya Metla wrote, "Students who took four years of art classes scored 91 points higher on their SAT exams than those who took half a year or less" (Metla 5). Academic success can be achieved through music because music itself strengthens the core testing subjects. As students gain more confidence in their academia, their desire to stay in school grows significantly. "Not only can art programs provide incentives for these children to stay in school, but it can also improve academic performance" (Metla 7). Students feel a part of something larger then themselves, which keeps them in schools and off the streets and out of trouble. Furthermore, it was found that students who didn't take art classes are five times more likely to drop out of school before graduation" (ibid). A music class has so much to offer students in the long run, and an interview with Victoria Stubbs elaborates on this fact. When I conducted an interview with the PATHS music teacher, Victoria Stubbs, I asked her what music brings to students and she had this to say:

"...being able to artistically collaborate. Music is a social art. It involves sharing out to others, giving of, it's our job as a musician to give. And maybe every artist wants to give, but a painter can paint and put it up and have it be seen. But I need an audience, I need feedback, I need to have that experience of giving and seeing what kind of impression have I made. Have I made a difference? Have I been able to share something of myself with you when you hear it? So I think that the collaborative spirit of music is intense, and beautiful and important in every single field."

Ms. Stubbs articulated the purpose and role of music in academics beautifully, and this can be easily achieved. Music programs can aid disadvantaged students to realize their full potential because it provides a sanctuary for those who lack a safe environment at home. As someone who has personally been saved by music, I want to advocate and publicize the benefits and strengths music education has to offer.

Boyd, Stacey. "Extracurriculars Are Central to Learning." U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report, 28 Apr. 2014. Web. 27 Jan. 2017

Catterall, James S. "The Consequences of Curtailing Music Education." PBS. PBS, 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.

Jewell, Shannon L. "School of Life Sciences | Ask A Biologist." Can Music Reduce Stress? | ASU - Ask A Biologist. 17 June 2014. Web. 02 Mar. 2017.

Metla, Valeriya. "School Art Programs: Should They Be Saved?" Law Street (TM). 25 July 2016. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.

Nascher, Caitlin. "Music Education Linked to Increased Reading Skills in Low-Income Kids." Arts To Grow. Arts to Grow, 28 Oct. 2014. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.

Sacks, Oliver W. Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain. London: Picador, 2011. "The Importance of Music Education." Personal interview. 1 Mar. 2017.

Tony. "The Truth About Why Music Is Cut From Schools (and What We Can Do About It) ·." The Music Parents' Guide. The Music Parents' Guide, 28 Aug. 2015. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.