Hutson1

ChristopherHutson
Mrs.Scaife
Composition110:00
16November2015
TheMusicalLifethatInspiresAll
Everwonderedaboutthemanybenefitsofmusicandwhateffectsithashadonones
life?Maybelisteningtothesoothingsoundsofasongputsyouateasewhenyou'refeeling
downtheupbeatmusicthathelpsyoufocusduringanexamthedisciplineandrespectthatyou
learnwhenworkingtogetherinabandorperhapsthere'sadeepermeaningtoitthatonlyeach
andeverypersoncanfigureoutforthemselves.Intoday'sworld,musiceducationhashadagreat
effectonsocietywhenitcomestogivingstudentsapositiveoutlookonlifeandbringing
inspirationtothosethatcanrelatetomusiconamorepersonallevel.However,ismusic
educationconsideredtobeadistractionamongotherimportantsubjectsandcauseanegative
effectonhowpeopleoperateintoday'ssociety?Manymayagreewiththisquestionforthere
havebeenmanyknowncasesdealingwiththeeffectsofmusic.But,eventhoughtheremaybe
somenegativeeffectswithmusiceducation,thereissomuchmoretoitthatnoteveryonecan
comprehend.Thethingsthatdon'tmakesinceintheendcouldendupbringinganewlightto
people'sjudgement.
Aslifecontinuestoprogresson,manymaybegintoquestionwhatisthepointofhaving
musiceducation?Oneofthemainreasonsofwhymusiceducationshouldbeenlarged
throughouttheworldisbecauseithelpsimproveaperson'sintelligence.AccordingtoE.Glenn
SchellenbergstudieswhichwasconductedattheUniversityofToronto,hediscoveredagrowth

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insixyearoldIQswhoweregivenpianoandvoicelessonsfrequently.Thisstudywassoon
publishedintheissueofPsychologicalSciencein2004.Heconductedthisstudywithtwelvesix
yearoldsandgavethemninemonthsofpianoandvoicelessons,thendramalessonstoasecond
group,andfinallynolessonstothethirdgroup.ThechildrensIQsweretestedbeforeentering
thefirstgrade,thenagainbeforeenteringthesecondgrade.Tohissurprise,theoneswhowere
givenmusiclessonstestedonaveragethreeIQpointshigherthantheothers.Thedramagroup
didntexperiencethesameincrease,butdidhaveanincreasedsocialbehaviorwhichwasnot
seeninthemusicgroup.Also,anotherstudyconductedbyEllenWinner,apsychologyprofessor
atBostonCollege,endedupfindingchangesinthebrainimagesofchildrenwhohadmusical
instructionfor15months.Thestudentshadimprovedsounddiscriminationandfinemotortasks,
andsawchangesinthebrainassociatedwiththeseabilities.ThiswasallapprovedbytheDana
Foundation,whichwasaprivatephilanthropicorganizationthatsupportsbrainresearch.Itgoes
toshowthatthebrainsofmusiciansworkalothardercomparedtothosewithnomusical
introduction.(Brown)
Whenskillscomeintoplay,everyoneisdifferentastheirlifeexperienceshowshow
intelligenttheyare.Alinkbetweenmusicandspatialintelligencehasbeenproventohelpina
person'sthinkingability.Thismeansthatunderstandingmusiccanhelppeopleseedifferent
elementsthatshouldgotogether,likesolvingamathproblem.Anyonemajoringinengineering,
architecture,oranythingrelatedtocomputerworkwillhavetousetheseskillswhensolving
multistepproblems.Besidestheobviousbenefitsofhavingamusiceducation,whateffectdoesit
haveonaperson'stestscores?Accordingtoastudyconductedin2007byChristopherJohnson,
amusicprofessorattheUniversityofKansas,hediscoveredthatstudentsinelementaryschools

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withamazingmusicprogramsscoredaround22percenthigherinEnglishand20percenthigher
inmathscoresonstandardizedtests,comparedtoschoolswithaveragemusicprograms.Ifthe
environmentaroundapersonhasalotofpeopledoingcreative,smart,greatthings,andjoyful
things,evenpeoplewhoarentdoingthathaveatendencytogoupanddobetter.(Brown)Not
onlydoesmusiceducationimprovesaperson'sthinkingcapabilities,italsohelpswithmastering
memorization.Astudenthastobeabletomemorizesheetmusicwhenitcomestomarchingona
field.(Nuss)Sothisprocesswouldhelpinschoolbyallowingthestudenttodevelopthe
memorizationofmaterialtaughttothem.Also,basedoffofwhatPruettdiscovered,Peoplewho
havehadformalmusicaltrainingtendtobeprettygoodatrememberingverbalinformation
storedinmemory.(Brown)
Musiceducationcanalsohavetheeffectofdevelopinglanguageandreasoningamong
youngminds.Studentswhopracticemusicearlywilldevelopthepartofthebrainrelatedto
languageandreasoning.Theleftsideisbetterdevelopedwithmusic,andsongscanhelpimprint
informationonyoungminds.(Nuss)AstudyconductedatHarmonyProject,whichwasa
nonprofitprograminLosAngelesthattaughtchildrenmusicinlowincomecommunities,
discoveredthatplayingmusicalsohelpedkidsbrainsprocesslanguage.NinaKraus,a
neurobiologistwhorunstheAuditoryNeuroscienceLaboratoryatNorthwesternUniversity,is
workingtobetterunderstandhowkidsprocessmusicandspeech.Eventhoughtheyare
completelydifferent,theyhavethreecommondenominatorspitch,timing,andtimbre.Inhis
otherresearches,henoticedthatkidsfrompovertyhadahardertimeprocessingsoundduetothe
factthattheyhearfewerwordsbyagefivethanotherkidsdo.Beingabletoprocesstiming,
pitch,andtimbrecanhelpskidspickuplanguage.Consonantsandvowelsbecomeclearer,and

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thebraincanmakesenseofthemmorequickly.(Turner)Withthehelpofmusiceducation,
studentscanhaveabetterunderstandingofthingsandlearntorelaxwhenitcomestostressful
situations.
Thenextreasonofwhymusiceducationshouldbeenlargedthroughouttheworldis
becauseithelpsdevelopemotionalmaturityinpeopleandhelpsthemcopewithreality.When
thePalestinianuprisingbeganinthe1980s,aphotographertookapictureofaboycryingwhile
throwingrocks,an8yearoldnamedRamziAburedwan.Theimagewasmeanttoshowtherage
andfrustrationoflifeintherefugeecamps.Althoughhewasfamouslyknown,Ramzi'slife
changedwhenhewasintroducedtomusicat16.Ashestartedplayingviola,hereceiveda
scholarshiptostudyataconservatoryinFranceandsoonbeganteaching.In2005,hestartedAl
Kamandjti,schoolstobringmusictothoseinPalestinian.Ramziwroteabookcalled,Children
oftheStone,totellhisstoryofhowthepowerofmusicchangedhislife.Thegirlonthecover
ofthebookwasnamedAlaandshehadasymbolicmeaningfortheviolinshewasholding.In
Palestine,givingachildatooltofight,likemusicorartorevensports,isanimportantthingto
do.ThemeaningofAlascoveristhatmusiccanbeapartofthefighting,andsocanart.Ramzi
putsonconcertsinsomeplacestodirectlychallengeIsraeliauthorities.Thiswasawaytosay
"no"toallthesoldiersthere,andalsotoplayforthosewaitinginbiglinesjusttogethomeor
workeachday,andtogethismessageacrossthatPalestinewouldlovetohavefreedom,andwe
theydoitwitheventhemostpacifistwaythatexists.Throughmusic,alltheseyoungpeopleand
thecitizensofPalestinearetryingtofightinthebestwaypossiblesothatthekidscanberaised
inafreeandpeacefulenvironment,justlikehowkidsaroundtheworldgrewuptobe.(Neary)

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Thebirthofmusichaschangedthelivesofmanytowheretheyfeelaccomplishedinthe
endorhelpsthemkeepwhateversanitytheyhaveleftinside.InJiHaeParksTEDvideo,she
expressedthefeelingsshehadayoungagethroughhermusic.Duetothefactthatshedeveloped
depressionoverthecourseofherlife,shefeltaloneandalmostgaveuponlife.But,whenshe
wasintroducedtotheviolin,itwasaneyeopeningexperienceforher.Themusicrestoredher
soulandtouchedherheart.Parksusedhermusictoreachouttopeoplethatlosthopeorfelt
aloneinplaceslikechurches,prisons,andrestrictedfacilities.InanotherTEDvideo,agroupof
womenprisoninmateshadtheopportunitytosingwhichendeduprevealingtheirfears,hopes,
andregrets.Thesewomenweregivenlifewithoutparoleandthroughsingingtheycanmaintain
whatlittlehopetheyhaveleftwhenitcomestoseeingtheirlovedonesonemoretime.Inlast
TEDvideo,anelevenyearoldviolinisthasbroughttotheworldapersonthatcaninspirethose
tomakeadifferencethroughmusic.Startingherlessonsatfourandmakingherprofessionalsolo
debutatninewiththeTaiwanSymphonyOrchestra,SirinaHaunghasbecomeamusicalartist
whohasdevelopedmaturequalitiesforsomeoneherage.
Whilemusiceducationisconsideredtobeinspirationalandlifechangingamongmany,
someviewitasadistractiontothecommunity,agatewaytobadbehavior,orsimplyjustdon't
wantitinschoolsduetobudgetproblems.Whatevertheproblemmaybe,gettingridofitwill
justincreaseproblemsthroughouttheworld.Theworldhaschangedtowherepeoplecanhave
anemotionalconnectiontowardsmusicthathelpsthemcopewithlifeandothersdevelopasense
ofaccomplishmentwhentheylearntoworktogetherinaband.Musicdrivespeopletomake
somethingofthemselvesandwiththaturgetobetteryourselfcomesgreatnessinlife.

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Inconclusion,musiceducationshouldbeincreasedthroughouttheworld.Fromthefact
thatithelpsincreaseaperson'sintelligencetodevelopingemotionalmaturityinpeopleand
helpingthemcopewithrealityiswhymusicisapartofthissocietytoday.Withoutit,theworld
wouldhavenocreativityatallandlackinspirationforotherstomaketheworldabetterplaceto
livein.Musicisaboutcommunication,creativity,andcooperation,andbystudyingmusicin
schools,studentshavetheopportunitytobuildontheseskills,enrichtheirlives,andexperience
theworldfromanewperspective.(Clinton)

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