According
to a new nationwide survey conducted by the Gallup Organization, more than nine
in ten Americans believe music education should be a part of every student's
day. In fact, more than three-quarters of the people questioned feel that states
should mandate it.
"American Attitudes Toward Music," conducted for NAMM - International Music
Products Association, also found that active music making takes place in half
the homes in America. Music participation and support for school music education
are both significantly stronger than in an identical poll conducted in 1997.
Another significant finding is the sharp increase in the number of people who
believe music education helps students succeed in other academic areas.
"The results of this national survey leave no doubt that Americans feel strongly
about music," says NAMM President and CEO Larry Linkin. "It's especially
dramatic to see the growing clamor for music education in our schools."
In a question asked for the first time this year,
80 percent of respondents agreed that making music makes participants smarter.
This finding comes on the heels of a decade of scientific research linking
active participation in music with improved mental capacity in young children,
students and the elderly. The impact of such news is also seen in the survey’s
finding that 78 percent of Americans feel learning a musical instrument helps
students perform better in other subjects, and that 88 percent believe
participation in music helps teach children discipline. Ninety-six percent
believe participation in a school band is a good way for children to develop
teamwork skills, and 71 percent believe that teenagers who play an instrument
are less likely to have disciplinary problems.
This year, a record 54 percent of households, the
highest figure since this study began in 1978, reported having at least one
musical instrument player.
Among respondents who said they currently play a musical instrument, 97 percent
feel that music is a a good hobby, 97 percent said that music provides a sense
of accomplishment and 94 percent said learning to play an
instrument was relaxing. Even among
non-players, only 31 percent said they feel they're too old to start learning.
Participation in various musical activities is up as well from three years ago:
private lessons (from 18 to 21 percent of households that report at least one
person participating), school instrumental programs (from 23 to 29 percent) and
other types of instrumental music programs (from 7 to 11 percent) are all more
popular than before.
Despite American’s clear support for music
education and participation, budget cuts and shifting priorities have placed
those programs in more danger than ever. Already, up to 28 million American
students do not receive an adequate music education, and cuts in education
funding are either pending or have been enacted in more than half the states
nationwide.
Ironically, these cuts come at a time when the
importance of music education is better understood than ever before. The College
Entrance Examination Board found, for example, that students in music
appreciation scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on the math
than students with no arts participation. U.S. Department of Education data on
more than 25,000 secondary school students found that students who report
consistent high levels of involvement in instrumental music over the middle and
high school years show “significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency
by grade 12.” And a study published in Neurological Research in 1999 of 237
second grade children who used piano keyboard training and newly designed math
software scored 27 percent higher on proportional math and fractions tests than
children that used only the math software.
The survey was conducted by The Gallup
Organization on behalf of NAMM. A random sample of consumers 12 years of age or
older in U.S. households was used to complete 1,005 telephone interviews between
February 4 and March 8, 2003.
