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Facts
and Statistics
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The
U.S. Department of Education recommends the arts to college-bound
middle and junior high school students asserting, “Many colleges
view participation in the arts and music as valuable experience that broadens
students’ understanding and appreciation of the world around them.”
In addition, it plays a part in developing “children’s intellectual
development.” The U.S. DOE also suggests one year of Visual and
Performing Arts for college-bound high school students. (Source: Getting
Ready for College Early: A Handbook for Parents of Students in the Middle
and Junior High School Years, U.S. Department of Education, 1997)
The
arts are one of the six subject areas in which the College Board
recognizes as essential in order to thrive in college. (Source: Academic
Preparation for College: What Students Need to Know and Be Able to Do,
1983 [still in use], The College Board, New York )
The arts produce
jobs, generating an estimate $37 billion with a return of $3.4
billion in federal income taxes. (Source: American Arts Alliance Fact
Sheet, October 1996 )
Students taking
courses in music performance and music appreciation scored higher
in the SAT than students with no arts participation. Music performance
students scored 53 points higher on the verbal and 39 points higher on
the math. Music appreciation students scored 61 points higher on the verbal
and 42 points higher on the math. (Source: 1999 College-Bound Seniors
National Report: Profile of SAT Program Test Takers, The College Entrance
Examination Board, Princeton, New Jersey)
According
to the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, music students
received more academic honors and awards than non-music students. A higher
percentage of music participants received As, As/Bs, and Bs than non-music
participants. (Source: NELS:88 First Follow-up, 1990, National Center
for Education Statistics, Washington D.C.)
Lewis Thomas,
physician and biologist, found that music majors comprise the
highest percentage of accepted medical students at 66%. (Source: As
reported in “The Case for Music in the Schools,” Phi Delta
Kappan, February 1994.)
Research made
between music and intelligence concluded that music training
is far greater than computer instruction in improving children’s
abstract reasoning skills.(Source: Shaw, Rauscher, Levine, Wright,
Dennis and Newcomb, “Music training causes long-term enhancement
of preschool children’s spatial-temporal reasoning,” Neurological
Research, vol. 19, February 1997 )
The University
of Montreal researched brain imaging techniques to study brain
activity during musical tasks. Researches concluded that sight-reading
musical scores and playing music “activate regions in all four of
the cortex’s lobes” and “parts of the cerebellum are
also activated during those tasks.” (Source: J. Sergent, E.
Zuck, S. Tenial, and B. MacDonnall (1992). Distributed neural network
underlying musical sight reading and keybpard performance. Science, 257,
106-109. )
Researchers
in Leipzig discovered through the use of brain scans that musicians
had larger planum temporale, the region of the brain associated with reading
skills. Also, musicians had a thicker corpus callosum, the nerve fibers
that connect the two halves of the brain. (Source: G. Schlaug, L.
Jancke, Y. Huang, and H. Steinmetz (1994). “In vivo morphometry
of interhemispheric asymmetry and connectivity in musicians.” In
I. Deliege (Ed.), Proceedings of the 3rd international conference for
music perception and cognition (pp. 417-418), Liege, Belgium. )
“The
arts enrich communities and employees, and also stimulate the
kind of intellectual curiosity our company needs to stay competitive.”
(Source: Norma R. Augustine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
Martin Marietta Corporation.)
“A grounding
in the arts will help our children to see; to bring a uniquely
human perspective to science and technology. In short, it will help them
as they grow smarter to also grow wiser. (Source: Robert E. Allen,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AT&T Corporation, in “America’s
Culture Begins with Education”)
This data
is exerpted from Music Makes the Difference: Music, Brain
Development, and Learning which is MENC publication #1668
and may be purchased at the MENC website at www.menc.org.
Arts Education
aids students in skills needed in the workplace: flexibility,
the ability to solve problems and communicate; the ability to learn new
skills, to be creative and innovative, and to strive for excellence. (Source:
Joseph M. Calahan, Director of Corporate Communications, Xerox. Corporation)
I believe
arts education in music, theater, dance and the visual arts is one of
the most creative ways we have to find the gold that is buried
just beneath the surface. They (children) have an enthusiasm for life,
a spark of creativity, and vivied imaginations that need training...training
that prepares them to become confident young men and women. As I visit
schools around the country I see a renewed interest in arts education
and a growing concern about the negative impact of cutting art and music
out of curriculum. The creativity of the arts and the joy of music should
be central to the education of every American child. (Source: Richard
W. Riley, U.S. Secretary of Education)
Music is Beating
Computers at Enhancing Early Childhood Development. Music training,
specifically piano instruction, is far superior to computer instruction
in dramatically enhancing children's abstract reasoning skills necessary
for learning math and science. Learning music at an early age causes long-term
enhancement of spatial-temporal reasoning. (Source: Frances Rauscher,
Ph.D., Gordon Shaw, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, 1997)
Music Enhances
Linguistic Skills. Music -- specifically song -- is one of the
best training grounds for babies learning to recognize the tones that
add up to spoken language. (Source Sandra Trehubn, University of Toronto,
1997)
America Is
a Country Full of Music-Makers. 113 million, or 53% of Americans
over the age of 12 are current or former music makers. (Source: 1997
"American Attitudes Towards Music" poll conducted by the Gallup
Organization)
Americans
Say Schools Should Offer Instrumental Music Instruction as part
of the regular curriculum. 88% of respondents indicated this in a 1997
"American Attitudes Towards Music" Gallup poll. (Source:
Music Trades, September 1997)
Student involvement
in extracurricular or cocurricular activities makes students resilient
to current substance use among their peers, according to a recent
statewide survey of Texas Schools. Secondary students who participated
in band, orchestra or choir reported the lowest lifetime use of all substances.
(Source: 1994 Texas School Survey of Substance Abuse Among Students:
Grades 7-12)
Studying Music
Strengthens Students' Academic Performance. Rhode Island studies
have indicated that sequential, skill-building instruction in art and
music integrated with the rest of the curriculum can greatly improve children's
performance in reading and math. (Source: "Learning Improved
by Arts Training" by Martin Gardiner, Alan Fox, Faith Knowles, and
Donna Jeffrey, Nature, May 23, 1996)
Music and
Spatial Task Performance: A Casual Relationship. Music lessons,
and even simply listening to music, can enhance spatial reasoning performance,
a critical higher-brain function necessary to perform complex tasks including
mathematics. ( Source: Frances Rauscher, Ph.D., Gordon Shaw, Ph.D.,
University of California, Irvine, 1994)
The Mozart
Effect surfaced about four years ago when research uncovered
that adults who listened to music of complexity for ten minutes or so
experienced temporary increases in their spatial IQ scores. ( Source:
Frances Rauscher, Ph.D., Gordon Shaw, Ph.D., University of California,
Irvine, 1994)
Music Is One
of Our Greatest Economic Exports. "The arts are an economic
plus -- second only to aerospace as our most lucrative national export."
(Source: Michael Greene of The National Academy of Recording Arts
and Sciences)
Teacher Expertise
in Music is a Critical Factor in Student Learning. Research indicates
that teachers of all subjects -- including music -- who are more experienced
and educated are more effective in the classroom. Consequently, students
learn more from them. (Source: Paying for Public Education: New Evidence
on How and Why Money Matters, by Ronald Ferguson, 1991)
Frequently
Asked Questions
[Top]
Why
Teach Music and the Arts?
- Music and the
Fine Arts have been a significant portion of every culture’s
educational system for more than 3,000 years.
- The Arts are
the only way humans learn and judge other cultures or ages.
- The human brain
has been shown to be “hard-wired” for music; there is
a biological basis for music being an important part of human experience.
- Music and the
Arts surround daily life in our present day culture.
- Most present
day artists, architects, and musicians acquired their interests during
public school Fine Arts classes.
- Only by continuing
to allow students to explore these ways of learning will this portion
of the economy continue to grow.
- Education without
the Fine Arts is fundamentally impoverished and subsequently leads
to an impoverished society.
What
about the claimed benefits of music education on other portions of the
academic curriculum?
- The most rigorous
review of all studies (Reviewing Education and the Arts Project Report
(REAP)) shows there are significant, reliable causal relationships
between the systematic, formal study of music and gains in mathematics
and in spatial-temporal relationships.
- Brain studies
show the development of more extensive neural connections in musicians.
Should
Music and the Arts be used to teach other academic subjects?
- While studies
show positive influences in other academic areas, music and the Fine
Arts are an academic discipline that are, as the other academics,
an independent way of learning and knowing.
- Reading, writing,
and mathematics are important and all students should be successful
in those areas, however none of those academic areas justify their
existence on the basis of what is accomplished for another area. Each
academic discipline is important for a well-rounded curriculum.
- Music and Fine
Arts are an academic area of study equal to reading, writing, mathematics
and science.
Should
the study of Music and the Fine Arts be available to all students?
- Where music and
Fine Arts programs have been eliminated because of funding difficulties,
students have been deprived of a significant opportunity of learning
and knowing about the world around them.
- All students
should be able to “elect” to study music and the Fine
Arts in depth at the secondary level.
- All students
should have the opportunity to study music at the elementary level
in a systematic, meaningful way.
- If music and
the Fine Arts are reserved for only wealthy schools or communities,
a cultural “elite” will be created, which also creates
a significant distinction of social class.
- Music and the
Fine Arts should not only be available to those children of wealthy
parents who can purchase private tutors or subsidize public schools
with donations to sustain public school programs, but also to students
of average or low socio-economic areas.
Should
Music and the Fine Arts should be reserved only for those students who
have demonstrated their “talent?”
- Magnet schools
and magnet programs are wonderful for students exhibiting their skill
at an early age, but many students do not realize their talent at
early ages. Without opportunities in elementary, middle or high schools
many students will miss developing their creative and/or artistic
abilities.
- Districts or
communities relying on solely on magnet programs and exclude or reduce
Fine Arts in other district schools deny many students the chance
to develop this way of knowing and learning.
How
should Music and the Fine Arts fit into the Florida educational curriculum?
- Florida school
curriculum should be designed to deliver more than a minimal education
to Florida students.
- Music and Art
should be taught at every elementary school in a regular and systematic
way.
- Music and all
Fine Arts should be considered “academic electives” in
secondary schools and available to all students on a multi-year basis
to allow adequate time for skills to develop sufficiently for informed
decisions about college programs and career choices.
- All academic
electives, including Music and Fine Arts, should count towards entrance
requirements in Florida colleges and universities.
- All students
graduating from Florida schools should have received at least one
credit in Fine Arts.
- All Florida colleges
and universities should require one Fine Arts credit for admission.
How should accountability be demanded so that Fine Arts courses meet rigorous
requirements?
- There are already
in place Sunshine State Standards for the Arts, and schools should
be required to demonstrate compliance with the benchmarks already
defined.
- Rigorous music
performance assessments are already in place and administered by the
Florida School Music Association (see State Music Performance Assessment
Report, 2001,). That association, which governs interscholastic music
activities in Florida, will be developing assessments that are inclusive
of all of the elements of the Sunshine State Standards. The other
state Fine Arts associations are in the process of developing similar
assessments.
Action needed
- Make certain
your advocacy network in your county is strong and that communication
systems are in place for rapid use.
- Network with
all Fine Arts educators and advocates on your campus.
- Network with
all levels of Fine Arts educators in your school system (elementary
– middle – high school – college).
- Use these talking
points to communicate with your state legislators and let them know
how important Music and the Fine Arts are to you. Ask for their support
for legislation that will ensure the Fine Arts’ place in the
K-12 curriculum, and the funds to support those programs.
Economics
[Top]
The Arts
Make Cents
The Arts have a positive
impact not only on a community's quality of life, but also on its bottom
line.
A recent study by
the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies (NALAA) documented the economic
importance of the nonprofit arts on communities. The three year study
surveying nearly 800 nonprofit arts organizations in 33 communities in
22 states, concluded that the arts are a thriving industry and "an
economically sound investment for communities of all sizes."
The NALAA report estimated
that nonprofit arts organizations generate:
- 1.3 million jobs
annually
- $25.2 billion
in personal income
- $790 million
in local government revenues
- $1.2 billion
in state government revenues
- $3.4 billion
in federal income tax revenues
In terms of national
impact, the nonprofit arts were found to compose a $36.8 billion industry
in the United States. That number jumps to $314 billion when the commercial
arts sector is added.
Source: National
Assembly of Local Arts Agencies. Arts in the Local Economy Final Report,
Washington D.C., 1994
Business and Community
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How Arts Education Builds the Skills that Business Values
- An education
in the arts encourages high achievement.
- Study of the
arts encourages a suppleness of the mind, a toleration for ambiguity,
a taste for nuance, and the ability to make trade-offs among alternative
courses of action.
- Study of the
arts helps students to think and work across traditional disciplines.
They learn both to integrate knowledge and to "think outside
the box."
- An education
in the arts teaches student how to work together cooperatively.
- An education
in the arts builds an understanding of diversity and the multi-cultural
dimensions of our world.
- An arts education
insists on the value of content, which helps students understand "quality"
as a key value.
- An arts education
contributes to technological competence.
Source:
Business Week, October 28, 1996
Impact
of the Arts
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The Impact
of the Arts on Learning from Champions of Change
Involvement in the arts and academic success.
Positive academic developments for children engaged in the arts are seen
at each step in the research - between 8th and 10th grade as well as between
10th and 12th grade. The comparative gains for arts-involved youngsters
generally becomes more pronounced over time. Moreover and more important,
these patterns hold for children from low socio-economic status (SES)
backgrounds.
Music and
mathematics achievement.
Students who report consistent high levels of involvement in instrumental
music over the middle and high school years show significantly higher
levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12. This observation holds
both generally and for low SES students as a subgroup. In addition, absolute
differences in measured mathematics proficiency between students consistently
involved versus not involved in instrumental music grow significantly
over time.
Theater arts
and human development
Sustained student involvement in theater arts (acting in plays and musical,
participating in drama clubs, and taking acting lessons) associates with
a variety of development for youth: gains in reading proficiency, gains
in self concept and motivation, and higher levels of empathy and tolerance
for others. Our analyses of theater arts were undertaken for low SES youth
only. Our presumption was that more advantaged youngsters would be more
likely to be involved in theater and drama because of attendance at more
affluent schools and because of parental ability to afford theater opportunities
in the community or private sectors.
From Champions
of Change: The impact of the Arts on Learning, edited by Edward B. Fiske,
funded by the GE Fund and the John D and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Produced by the Arts Education Partnership and the President's Committee
on the Arts and Humanities.
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