At my previous school, there was a choir program, but it was really only for around third grade and below. (Now, there is a class for seventh and eighth grade, but it is not highly enrolled.) So, I had not experienced a typical choir class until last year when I joined choir here at PCS. It seems like lots of schools have a visual arts or drama program, but not necessarily successful choir classes. I do not really understand why they don’t continue these classes, but I found an article with reasons why music classes should be kept. Some of the reasons include better memorization, students engage in school better with an “enjoyable subject,” a sense of achievement, and better coordination (musical instruments). These all made sense to me because usually people’s art class is the one they enjoy the most, learning sheet music practices memorizing, etc. But, some of the points that the article made were really interesting, and I had never really thought about them before. For example, music students are apparently better with dealing with anxiety, because they are more emotionally developed. Another one that is interesting is that learning music can build self confidence. To me, this one seems a little weird because you are putting yourself out there by singing in front of a group of people, but I guess it makes you more used to it, which will increase self confidence in the long run. Some of the reasons to take music are really interesting, and I are difficult to understand why they are the case. The article says that band and orchestra members are less likely to have substance issues later in life, because our society is built around music, and taking music class “builds character.” Also apparently music students score higher on the SAT, so that’s pretty cool. This article was very interesting to read, and it made me think about the benefits of music, and question why it is not a common form of art taught at schools. Here’s the article and I really recommend it: http://www.nafme.org/20-important-benefits-of-music-in-our-schools/
I totally understand the problem with music classes in elementary school. When I was in 5th grade, my school brought in some UCSC students to put together choirs for all the different grade levels. The majority of the kids in my class weren't interested, at all, in music, and I was interested. When I joined the choir at PCS, I realized how may people enjoyed choir and singing just as much as I did. That article is really interesting, and it reminded me of cuts to the performing arts departments in some schools across the country, and, reading that, it shows how important the music classes really are in schools.
ReplyDeleteI agree that choir at school is important for a student's education. In my old school in Florida, I did not have time for fun electives and often times I felt extremely overwhelmed. Choir helps students express themselves. I remember on the first day of choir I was extremely nervous and embarrassed to sing out loud, but I soon felt more comfortable singing in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI agree that choir at school is important for a student's education. In my old school in Florida, I did not have time for fun electives and often times I felt extremely overwhelmed. Choir helps students express themselves. I remember on the first day of choir I was extremely nervous and embarrassed to sing out loud, but I soon felt more comfortable singing in the classroom.
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