There is a great website that you can navigate to hear from music parents and students themselves. Using information from studies and research, the Broader Minded movement picks a fact and then uses stories from real parents and students to show how it is carried over into our lives. Here’s a sampling (but there is SO much more!!)
Researched FACT:
Schools with music programs have significantly higher graduation and attendance rates than those without music programs.
-Harris Interactive Inc., 2006
How it Relates to a Student’s Life:
“Around 8th and 9th (grade), I began to stray away from music in my life. I got in with a bad crowd, was always in trouble, and let my grades slip. In 10th grade, I became much more involved with music. I had found my niche. I found a strong group of friends, my work ethic and grades became better, and I stayed away from drugs. Music became my life and saved me from a troubled future.”
Researched FACT:
Studies have shown that diligent instrument training from an early age can help the brain remain focused when absorbing other subjects, from literature to tensor calculus.
-Scientific American, 2010
A Teachers Classroom Experience:
“Last week, I walked into a kindergarten classroom just as a fight erupted. All the children are dealing with trauma – it is a program for homeless children – and many of the things we count on to stabilize life for young children just aren’t present for many of these kids. Fuses are short. I sat down in the circle, where two flailing children were being separated by a teacher and the dozen others were sitting wide-eyed in fear, and I started a chant: “Wave hello. . . watch your fingers go!” The rhythm and the integrative movements almost immediately changed the emotional atmosphere. Within 30 seconds, the children who had been fighting were hooked in, watching. A couple of minutes later, everything was calm. It was as if nothing had ever happened..”
A Student’s Experience:
“I’ve been in choir since 5th grade and am now a senior in the choir and ensemble at my school. Reading music helped me concentrate and focus. It was actually hard at first. I became myself through the vocal program here because it gave me a niche and place to belong. I gained so much confidence, friends/family, and memories here.”
broader minded™
Music not only impacts academic achievement, it also shapes the way our students understand themselves and the world around them. Let’s think beyond the bubbles and educate the whole student. Learn about the National Association for Music Education’s latest advocacy venture, ‘Broader Minded: Think Beyond the Bubbles,’ and get back to making the case for music for music’s sake! Join the movement!