Jeannette Hoyt, True Note Music Programs January, 2011

Raisin Brahms says: Fine Arts Education contributes to:  Increased Test Scores  Creative Problem Solving Skills Source: AmericansfortheArts.org

“Every student in the nation should have an education in the arts.” This is the opening statement of “The Value and Quality of Arts Education: A Statement of Principles,” a document from the nation’s ten most important educational organizations, including the American Association of School Administrators, the National Education Association, the National Parent Teacher Association, and the National School Boards Association.

Fine Arts Education contributes to:  Success in society  Success in school  Success in developing intelligence  Success in life Source: Childrensmusicworkshop.com

 Success in society Data show that high earnings are not just associated with people who have high technical skills. In fact, mastery of the arts and humanities is just as closely correlated with high earnings, and, according to our analysis, that will continue to be true. History, music, drawing, and painting, and economics will give our students an edge just as surely as math and science will. —Tough Choices or Tough Times: The report of the new Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, 2007

 Success in school Students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district. Students in top-quality music programs scored 22% better in English and 20% better in math than students in deficient music programs. Students at schools with excellent music programs had higher English and math test scores across the country than students in schools with low-quality music programs. Students in all regions with lower-quality instrumental programs scored higher in English and math than students who had no music at all. Christopher M. Johnson and Jenny E. Memmott, Journal of Research in Music Education, 2006

 Success in developing intelligence A 2004 Stanford University study showed that mastering a musical instrument improves the way the human brain processes parts of spoken language. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI), researchers also discovered that musical training helps the brain work more efficiently in distinguishing split-second differences between rapidly changing sounds that are essential to processing language — Prof. John Gabrieli, associate director of MIT’s Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging.

 Success in life Secondary students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs). Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse Report. Reported in Houston Chronicle, January 1998 The life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of the nation, is close to the center of a nation's purpose - and is a test to the quality of a nation's civilization.” — President John F. Kennedy

“…the point of teaching this subject is not to teach about the arts, but to teach THROUGH the arts. Teaching through the arts requires students to engage in the act of creative art… Teaching through the arts helps students experience concepts rather than simply discussing or reading them. This approach is consistent with educational theories that highlight the importance of reaching multiple learning styles or intelligences.” (Jacobs, 1999)

 Communication Skills The performance arts help to develop confidence that is essential to speaking clearly, lucidly and thoughtfully. Students learn to become comfortable in front of large groups. a. Musical and Theatrical performances b. Explaining and elucidating one’s own creation  Creative Problem Solving Skills The Arts teach students to think on their feet, identify problems, evaluate a range of options and implement solutions a. Material and other medium combinations (visual arts) b. Musical and theatrical performance

 Motivation Involvement in the Arts demands commitment and motivation. This attribute typically transfers from the Arts to other classes and jobs. a. Practice and rehearsal time b. “Blood and sweat” visual and performance  Working Cooperatively/Esprit de corps The Arts constantly demand collaboration! a. Music and Theatre Ensembles b. Visual art teaming c. Practical arts working units

 Working Independently The Arts frequently necessitates working without direct supervision – this foster “self starters” or “initiators.” a. Practice, practice, practice b. Confidence, dedication and self-worth  Leadership Arts, especially in performance, creates many opportunities for students to assume leadership roles and receive consistent training a. Lead roles b. Principal/ 1 st chair players

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: Principal’s Partnership Association

Source: Texas Music Educators Association

An Auburn University study found significant increases in overall self-concept of at-risk children participating in an arts program that included music, movement, dramatics and art, as measured by the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. N.H. Barry, Project ARISE: Meeting the needs of disadvantaged students through the arts, Auburn University, 1992

Fine Arts Education develops lasting life skills: Respect for deadlines Ability to think and react quickly Flexibility Ability to work under pressure Healthy self-image developed through achievement Acceptance of disappointment Self-Discipline and a goal-oriented approach Self-Confidence