Music In Our Schools by Kristen

Music In Our Schools by Kristen - June 2018 Scholarship Essay

Music is an enriching act within our everyday lives. Music connects people of all colors, all ages and all walks of life. Music is everlasting, as it creates life-long learners and diverse individuals who will then help make the world a better place. Because of these and many more reasons, I feel that our music classes are electives that should be a required course, mainly a general music education class or a music appreciation course.

During my matriculation as a young girl in elementary, middle and high school, I thoroughly enjoyed my music classes. In my music classes, I learned to work with others. I also realized that I had a musical talent. I then turned that talent into multiple opportunities. I gained many accolades and a reassuring sense of confidence in myself. Music classes provide these very same opportunities and more for our students today. I believe that music, whether it be a certain discipline, instrument or ensemble, including various vocal and instrumental ensembles, should be a required elective for students. Music classes prove to be effective in the development of well-rounded students who become academically & artistically successful in college & beyond.
Music makes our students both well-rounded and diverse for our world by making them directly responsible for their achievement, as they must perform alone & with others. When students do not spend time during rehearsals listening & taking notes, practice does not help. If students are not practicing, students do not perform well. Music gives students the ability to express themselves while also exhibiting a level of skill that incorporates discipline, intelligence & flair.
Music also encourages students to collaborate, helping them to strengthen interpersonal skills & to gain a sense of community. Music helps to foster healthy student relationships and give students the ability to learn ways to communicate through their bodies as well as through an instrument. In building those relationships, many students who use music in their lives even beyond school develop bonds and networks through which they can perform, build other musical relationships and even grow in their business and professional lives. Students who participate in music classes are able to take part in some fantastic events, such as competitions and concerts that help create some lifelong memories.
Music should also be a required elective because it teaches students how to create an opportunity instead of waiting on one. With the element of performance, students can participate in youth groups outside of school. Students can also perform as individuals on a professional level, even as early as elementary school with the proper training and guidance. Students can put on concerts and attend festivals, competitions and the like in order to gain insight on how to build their own opportunities between times when other opportunities are not presenting themselves, or simply when individuals and groups are wanting to grow in their areas of expertise.
Finally, the study of music helps us to understand how the arts affects everyday life. The music of the times is a direct reflection of how a particular artist may feel, and their artistry inspires those who listen and take part in it. Music classes allows students a space to have conversations about those ideals in hopes of connecting through someone else by way of music, a person that they may otherwise have had no form of connection to in another space.
Not only does music education enlighten the minds of others, it influences the decisions of our young people in giving them plenty of opportunities to be a success, perhaps when a success has never been gained academically or athletically. Music should be a required elective course because it’s the music of life that helps us to survive throughout each and every hard time, and moves us to be inspired to push towards a brighter day.