STEAM: "Where science ends, art begins."

Think back to high school.  How many times did you take a difficult test and leave thinking, "I am never going to have to know this information in real life, and this class has absolutely nothing to do with my future career.  How is this important?"  I certainly said this countless time when leaving physics, or calculus, or biology.  My career path has absolutely nothing to do with any of these subjects and yet, I had to take them.

Image Courtesy of the US Department of Education

In reality, creating a well-rounded education is extremely valuable to any student who wishes to succeed in higher education, or in their career.  For quite a few years, school districts have been pushing STEM education: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math education.  The goal of this program is to create innovative and critically-thinking students who are able to make connections between all aspects of their lives and who will become lifelong learners.  Additionally, STEM students will be prepared to pursue careers that involve science, technology, engineering, and math, which are fast-growing fields of work that are necessary for the success of our country.

On March 23, 2015 at the White House Science Fair, President Barack Obama stated, "[Science] is more than a school subject, or the periodic table, or the properties of waves.  It is an approach to the world, a critical way to understand and explore and engage with the world, and then have the capacity to change that world."  President Obama went on to articulate that educating students in STEM fields creates students with the potential to help maintain the United State's status as a global leader.  These students will have the capacity to solve the world's most pressing problems.

Image Courtesy of Washington State University

According to the United States Department of Education, "In a world that's becoming increasingly complex, where success is drive not only by what you know, but by what you can do with what you know, it's more important than ever for our youth to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to solve tough problems, gather and evaluate evidence, and make sense of information."  The Department of Education asserts that these valued qualities are best taught through STEM education, and that classes in all STEM fields should be readily available to students.

Photo Courtesy of Envision Science Academy

While science, technology, engineering, and math classes are vital to the success of any student, arts classes should certainly be thrown in the mix.  STEM classes are mostly based on logic and skills used by the left half of the brain.  The United States needs innovative, intelligent citizens to solve our world's problems, and creativity is crucial for innovation.  Historically, our country has been ranked first in innovation globally.  However, we now rank between 3rd and 8th in the world.  To provide a solution for fostering more creativity and for encouraging innovation for students, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) began a movement to change STEM education to STEAM education--science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.

A statement from RISD affirms, "art and design education teaches flexible thinking, risk-taking and creative problem solving needed to solve today's most complex and pressing challenges--from healthcare to urban revitalization to global warming."  Innovators and creative thinkers are absolutely essential to the future of our nation, and all children should have access to music and art classes to supplement their education in science and math.

According to the STEAM official website, many other nations in Asia and Europe view arts education as "essential" for the success of their economy.  They implement programs that put arts education very high on their priority list.

For example, the organization Creatiquity states that Australia's Curriculum, Assessment, and Reporting Authority (ACARA) designates the arts as five distinct disciplines: visual art, music, dance, theater, and media arts.  In China, music and fine arts classes are required for two hours a week in elementary school.  Germany's government, specifically the Ministries of Education and Family Affairs spends $12.6-$14 million dollars on the arts each year.  As the US continues to decline and fall behind other countries in innovation, we need to seriously consider what needs to be changed.

Quite possibly, the United States will begin to consider changes in its education system that will begin to include the arts as a main discipline, fostering more creativity and innovation, which could pay dividends in the future.

For the Little Prodigies

Mozart wrote his first piece of music when he was five.  Can you imagine?  In a culture that highly valued music and the arts, Mozart and many other budding composers and musicians were able to study music at their leisure and attend regular concerts.  It's unbelievable that live music was practically more accessible to people living in the sixteenth century than in the twenty-first century.  Today, music classes are cut every day, and it is just not as valued in our culture.  Below is a recording of Mozart's very first piece of music--Andante in C Major, K. 1a for harpsichord.



Creativity is certainly still encouraged in today's society.  This is why parents encourage make-believe play and imaginary friends.  It is a well-known fact that, for a child to properly develop and learn, they must develop some form of imagination.  And, the brains of children are set up perfectly for creativity.  Take the Mozart excerpt above, for example.  With nearly no musical training or theory courses, five-year-old Mozart was able to take an idea from his imagination and transfer it into a piece of music--kids are capable of amazing things.

Music classes in elementary school are the perfect vessel for children to express their creativity and enrich their learning experience.  Clapping out rhythms and singing songs is just as important to a child's development as an early math or reading lesson.  With such short attention spans, music helps to give kids a break in the day, but still teaches them counting, reading, and writing.

We have just entered March, which is Music In Our Schools Month. According to the National Association for Music Education, March is the time of year when "music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation."  Teachers are encouraged to plan their lessons to incorporate music education into their curriculum in as many ways as possible, and to make an effort to bring as much music into the school as possible.  From its origin in 1973 to its first "World's Largest Concert" in 1985, to the present-day worldwide event, Music In Our Schools Month has reached over 6 million students and only continues to grow.

Despite all the budget cuts and the threats to music programs across the nation, Music In Our Schools Month serves as a hopeful sign of the future of music education in America.

Many teachers participate in Music In Our Schools Month by creating videos for local advocacy, sponsoring poster contests, having a music talent show, bringing in instruments for show-and-tell, having a school-wide concert, and taking a field trip to see other groups perform.  The ways to become involved are endless, but the idea is to have a full month of advocacy for the arts, supported by the public school system.

Every year, countless celebrities create PSA's advocating for the continuation of music education during Music In Our Schools Month.  Here, you can find the links to the MP3 files from 2014.

Photo courtesy of Steve Snodgrass

According to an article by Jennifer Cerbasi, "Music In Our Schools Month celebrates all the benefits of having quality music education programs in schools and encourages districts to maintain such programs at a time when many face tough budgetary constraints."  It is true that music education helps to foster children's academic, social, and emotional growth, and these benefits can be clearly seen throughout all the cross-curricular learning that occurs during Music In Our Schools Month.

Specifically, music teaches children discipline, perseverance, and work ethic, as well as comprehension skills, problem-solving skills, and focusing skills.  In addition, music encourages positive interactions with peers, which is extremely positive for young children.

For children with disabilities, music education is especially important.  Cerbasi states that "children are drawn to the rhythm of the instruments and many find a way to communicate and open themselves up by singing or playing an instrument."  Music is a way to communicate across languages and across life situations.  There are no limitations for communication using music, and music therapy programs are seeing amazing results in helping kids with disabilities learn through music.

Music In Our Schools Month is a wonderful endeavor and is remarkably important, especially in elementary schools.  According to an article by Laura Lewis Brown, when music education starts in elementary school, children have improved language development, higher IQ's, better spatial-temporal skills, improved test scores, and the simple benefit of just being musical.  Any civic issue can be improved with advocacy and awareness, and music education is no different.  Keep an eye out for Music In Our Schools Month activities and events near you when you are home for spring break.