In today’s society, the value of music education is declining at an alarming speed. Many schools around the country have been forced to cut spending on music and art in place of other classes that are viewed as being much more important. This is a travesty for our culture and for our future generations. Little does our society realize the many benefits that music education has to offer.

Music and art classes have been declining in frequency in elementary schools recently because whenever money is tight in a school district, music and art classes are the first to be cut. Many people view these classes as unnecessary for the education of students and are ranked in importance below physical education and other extracurricular classes. This common misconception is hurting the development of our future generations. I believe that music education is vital to the development of cultural understanding and growth of a child’s knowledge and character. Scientific studies have been done to prove that music helps children develop self-discipline, build teamwork and self-esteem, and also helps build higher thinking skills.

Whether being involved in a music group or playing an instrument alone, music teaches students self-discipline. Each day a striving musician has to carve out a certain period of time to practice his or her skills. By creating a schedule to follow, he or she learns how to be self-disciplined. The saying “practice makes perfect” is one of the truest statements one can make. Children who are required to set their own schedules can learn how to become self-sufficient and know how to budget their time more wisely.

Music education is also crucial for building teamwork and self-esteem in a child’s life. Children who are encouraged to participate in a music group have to learn how to cooperate and work with other people in order to attain a common goal. This is an important skill to have in any area of life. Whether it’s at a job, at home, or at school one must learn how to work with others and learn how to effectively communicate. These music activities not only encourage teamwork, but also create lifelong friendships and allow for working with many different kinds of people. Self-esteem is also built through this process by creating a support system of others who want to see success from each member of the group. This support system will allow students to feel as if they are a part of something greater. Students will also get more experience of performing in front of others and gain confidence through the process.

Music education helps children build higher thinking skills and also helps in certain academic areas, such as math and foreign languages. Children are required to think about how their personal section of a song blends with the other parts or instruments. They have to think about dynamics, good tone quality, and blending with others. Music also helps with other subject areas that might surprise many. Math is one of these subjects that music can help with. When reading music, a musician has to use fractions and addition/subtraction to determine each note value. Foreign languages are also used throughout music. Dynamics and tempo markings are written in different languages that require children to develop higher thinking skills. Without music, students would not benefit from the many different aspects of knowledge that are required to create music.

Many people underestimate the value of music education. Music not only allows people to express emotions that words do not adequately express, but also helps children build character and higher thinking skills that only music can build. Our society needs to realize how important music is to the development of future generations and needs to encourage the exploration of music. Music is the only thing that can bring a group of different cultures and beliefs together for one simple thing: the love of music.