If you follow the IFS or Paige’s Music on Twitter or Facebook, you have certainly seen our daily “Truths about Music Education” that have been making the rounds over the last several months. If you haven’t, you are missing out!! The main reason we have starting sharing these important truths on a daily basis is to help spread the word about how important it is for our children to continue to receive high-quality music education in our schools.
There is an overwhelming body of research that shows that students who participate in music education do better in school & in life. They have higher grades, higher test scores, higher graduation rates and attend college more often than their non-music counterparts. They also develop greater creativity, collaboration and critical thinking skills that are so important in today’s 21st century workforce. Recently, the music education world had a HUGE win with the repeal of No Child Left Behind in favor of a system that would support music and arts education as an important part of a well-rounded education for all children in our community. This distinction is included in the “Every Student Succeeds Act” that was recently signed into law by President Obama.
I would encourage all readers and lovers of music to write to your local school board representatives and tell them how much music means to you and your children! The more voices we can have for quality music education, the better!