Should Music Education Be Required In Schools Essay

Learning to Feel the Music:

An Argumentative Essay about How Music Education Should be Required in Schools “Some people think that music education is a privilege, but I think it is essential to being human.” This quote by American singer/songwriter Jewel Kilcher talks about one of the most powerful and wonderful aspects of the world: Music. People partake in the joy of music every day and it is a bigger part of people’s everyday lives than many realize. Music touches the hearts, minds, and souls of people across the globe, but it is also a big part of school systems. Many schools today offer music as part of their curriculum, but some believe that music education courses should not be a required part of schooling. Although the push to remove

They also tend to focus more on other, more prominent extracurriculars; athletic programs are generally the programs that receive the most recognition and attention from school budgeters. “Budget cuts do not appear to be consistent but are focused on fine arts,” says Slayton (35). If administrators and politicians alike would decrease funding all around, there would not be as much of a problem in schools . . . (Slayton 35)”. Fine arts programs have just as many positive aspects to them as other programs, such as athletics. Laura Jenschke, former elementary and high school teacher and now college professor at Texas Lutheran University talks about music’s effect on young students. “Having music in elementary schools is not only a creative outlet that all students need, but it enhances all of their learning skills,” she says (qtd. in “Music Education Budget”). Music provides students with opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom and offers just as many benefits to schools as other extracurriculars; Therefore, it is not fair to immediately choose music programs and courses to bear most of the burden of school budget

The amount of music that is consumed by Americans is staggering when these numbers are added to all of the other various ways people listen to music—such as CDs, vinyl records, online videos, and more. These numbers are only from the US; imagine the amount of music that has been listened to across the entire world in 2022. Listening to recorded music isn’t the only way people can consume music however. So many people across the world create their own songs and melodies every day. Pair that with the amount of concerts, band recitals, church worship events, and more that occur almost everyday. It is remarkable how deeply music is interwoven in our society. Music is truly as wonderful, fascinating, compelling, and important as any of the other subjects taught in schools today, if not more so. Music in the education system is vital to not only our students, but also our world. Although music has been shown to help improve test scores, improve physical and mental abilities, and help people get involved, it is so much more than just that. This quote by Peter Greene sums up music's deep and powerful value in our world: “Music does not need to make excuses for itself, as if it had no intrinsic worth. It does not have to dress itself up in test-taking robes or mathematical masks. It has deep, powerful human value, and all of us who love it should be saying so, over and over and over