Music
What do you remember from your music classes in elementary school? Maybe it was the special chalk holder the music teacher used to draw the staff on the board? Maybe it was the piano or the triangle or the maracas? Was it a song you sang or one you listened to? Whatever it might be, I bet you still have at least one memory of something musical you did in school.
Music has an incredible physical and mental impact on us. When we listen to music, our brains light up and when we play music our brains get a workout. According to this Ted Ed lesson, playing music even strengthens the corpus callosum, the brain’s bridge between the left and right hemispheres. This can make us better problem solvers in academic and social situations. An article from JHU Medicine (Keep Your Brain Young With Music) says, “Research has shown that listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory.”
“So what? Why should we care?” you ask. Well, here’s the thing: More music and more musical education would be great for our students. Musical education is lacking in many schools across our city, state and country. It makes me sad to realize that the vast majority of my students over the last 15 years have not had the amazing musical opportunities we often had as children. I had music class twice a week in elementary school. In middle school, I could join a chorus or band. My high school even had a Jazz band, and I grew up in a rural town where education was underfunded.
When students have music class they enjoy that time and reap so many benefits from the work they do there. They are calmer, more alert and just plain happier.
I asked Ms. Paylor’s (a music teacher from City Neighbors High School) students to answer some questions about music class, because I was curious if they think it’s helpful and if they see the benefits. Here’s what they had to say:
Question: Has music class helped you in your other classes?
“Yes, I would say it helped me to focus on the given work longer than I previously could.”
“Yes, being in music helped me in other classes because I relieve stress in here before I go to my next class.”
“Yes, [it] actually helped me to work through noise.”
Question: Do you like music class? Why or why not?
“Yes, because it creates lots of peace.”
“I enjoy music class especially this one because it always cheers me up when I have a bad day.”
“Yes, because we get to express ourselves and learn music.”
Music and music education is beneficial in so many ways and children love it. I hope you will consider ways to include more music in your homes and classrooms and find ways to advocate and fund musical education in our schools. Our children deserve it!
Written by: Charlene Butcher, Third Grade Teacher, City Neighbors Hamilton