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.