To Whom It May Concern:
Recently there has been much talk throughout school boards about dissolving the music program in elementary through secondary education. This is a matter everyone should think very carefully about. One main question I have is: Has the school board reviewed or done research on how music can help students advance in their education, whether it be in math or even boosting their reading skills?
Plenty of research has been done showing how music has improved students math skills. Newer research has shown that students who play piano can develop greater reading skills because they have to read two different clefs at the same time. It has been proven that students with dyslexia who learn to play piano reduce dyslexic behavior.
Students who took music throughout their elementary and secondary education built more of a respect for different types of music when they continued on to their collegiate career. They may not have been involved as much with music but they had a basic understanding of it.
It seems has if some school board members are all about saving money, which is a good thing. However, there are so many other areas in a school they can work on to save money. A great example would be the Home Education classes. Most people take them for a blow off class or just to get an easy credit, while most students who take music classes actually take them because they enjoy it and want to learn more.
Those simple reasons are why I feel so strongly about school boards looking into more than one way to save money, because that is what it all comes down to. Music class should be one of the last things to go.
Respectfully Submitted,
Armond D. Walter
Sophomore