Music has been around for ages and has been one of mankind 's greatest forms of entertainment and artistic expression. However, music is so much more than a simple source of entertainment for our enjoyment. Countless studies have been done that prove music programs in high schools have a direct positive impact on the minds of learning high schoolers. Despite the vast benefits that music programs yield in our nation 's high schools such as higher academic scores, positive mental health and the learning of skills that will help prepare students for life after high school, it is a sad fact that these programs are often the most underfunded. It is no surprise that when funds begin to dwindle the arts suffer first when in fact many do not realize how important they may be in the development of our country’s future generations. Why and how are music programs important in high schools today? I wish to answer this question by uncovering some of the benefits of strong music programs in high schools that may be unknown in hopes to …show more content…
The reason I have chosen to research this topic is because I originally come from a high school in which the arts were poorly funded. Therefore, I have experienced first hand the struggles a high school with a underfunded music program goes through, which is largely why I am motivated to argue on the behalf of students from high schools like my own. Currently, I am a vocal performance major at the University of Louisville and have witnessed how a strong music program versus a weak one can make a dynamic change in the student body. Music has always been something that I hold near to my heart and it has taught me a variety of life lessons and skills that are beneficial to anyone regardless of what career they choose. I firmly believe that every student should have the privilege of being able to reap the benefits of a school music program because the benefits are simply too obvious to be ignored and when a student is denied this privilege it is