June M. Hinckley
President, MENC: The National Association for Music Education
Statement before the Subcommittee
on Early Childhood, Youth and Families of the House Committee
on Education and the Workforce
United States House of Representatives
July 15, 1999
Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, I am June
Hinckley, president of MENC: The National Association for
Music Education, which represents over 70,000 music educators
across the country. I am also the Arts Education Specialist
for the Florida Department of Education. In that capacity,
I help develop and coordinate the arts education curricula
for Florida schools. I am pleased to have this opportunity
to share with you my experience and observations on the
importance of music and arts education for all children.
A Statement of Principles on the
Value of Arts Education
Last year, all of the major professional education associations,
representing over nine million teachers, parents, school
board members, school administrators, and principals, joined
together to endorse a set of principles that articulate
the meaning and value of arts education. A copy of this
statement is attached to my testimony, but the principles
may be summarized as follows:
(1) Every student in the nation should have an education
in the arts.
(2) To ensure a basic education in the arts for all students,
the arts should be recognized as serious, core academic
subjects.
(3) As education policymakers make decisions, they should
incorporate the multiple lessons of recent research concerning
the value and impact of arts education.
(4) Qualified arts teachers and sequential curriculum must
be recognized as the basis and core for substantive arts
education for all students.
(5) Arts education programs should be grounded in rigorous
instruction, provide meaningful assessment of academic progress
and performance, and take their place within a structure
of direct accountability to school officials, parents, and
the community.
(6) Community resources that provide exposure to the arts,
enrichment, and entertainment through the arts all offer
valuable support and enhancement to an in-school arts education.
What inspired these organizations to make such strong statements
in support of arts education for every child? Certainly,
they share our collective belief in the power of music and
the other arts to communicate the emotions of the human
spirit and connect us to our history, traditions, and heritage.
But they also understand the direct link between arts education
and academic achievement as documented by a growing body
of research. This research has important implications for
the future of education policy.
The Research: Music and the Brain
There is an exciting body of research that indicates that
music instruction at an early age actually wires the brain
for learning. According to psychologist Frances Rauscher
of the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, “Children
are born with all the nerve cells, or neurons, they will
ever have. However, connections between neurons, called
synapses, are sparse and unstable. Synaptic connections
largely determine adult intelligence. During the first six
years of life, the number of synapses increases dramatically,
and synapses already in place are stabilized. This process
occurs as a result of experience or learning. Those synapses
that are not used are eliminated — a ‘use it or
lose it’ situation. Music training appears to develop
the synaptic connections that are relevant to abstract thought.”[i]
Dr. Rauscher set out to build upon existing neurobiological
studies of the human brain and further explore the role
of music in its development. In a study published in Neurological
Research, Dr. Rauscher and physicist Gordon Shaw of the
University of California at Irvine worked with middle-income
and at-risk preschoolers. One group of children received
piano keyboard lessons. Another group received computer
training, and a third group received no special instruction.
The children who received piano keyboard lessons scored
significantly higher on spatial reasoning tests than the
other children who were matched in IQ and socio-economic
status — 34 percent higher to be exact. Spatial-temporal
reasoning involves higher brain functions that are needed
to solve complex math and science problems. Thus, the findings
pointed to a direct link between music instruction and math
and science aptitude.
Dr. Rauscher expanded her work to determine if this remarkable
improvement could be found with children in a public school
setting. The answer was a resounding “yes.” She
replicated her earlier study but used kindergarten students
rather than preschoolers and group piano instruction rather
than private lessons. She found that students receiving
keyboard instruction outscored those who received no formal
music training by an astonishing 48 percent on spatial reasoning
tests. According to Dr. Rauscher, “enhancements are
still present following one year after the lessons have
terminated, although children who received the lessons for
two years score even higher.”[ii]
Because of this pilot study, Wisconsin’s School District
of Kettle Moraine now requires all kindergarten students
in the district to receive piano keyboard instruction as
part of the regular school curriculum. Plans are underway
to expand the program to students in every elementary classroom.
I know personally that this research represents the reality
of the classroom. In my role working with schools in Florida,
I had the opportunity to visit Gemini Elementary School.
Teachers and administrators decided to replicate the studies
by Rauscher and Shaw with their kindergarten students. They
found the same results of improved achievement in pre- and
post-test studies with these children. The results were
so dramatic and positive that they have scheduled additional
music instruction time for five-, six-, and seven-year-old
students. The success at Gemini was the focus of a special
on music education that aired on the program Good Morning
America. Even more encouraging is that Gemini and Kettle
Moraine are not alone. School music programs are spurring
this type of success in different parts of the country and
in communities of different socio-economic backgrounds.
Additional Evidence
Beyond the work of Dr. Rauscher and her colleagues, there
also is considerable research and anecdotal evidence that
supports the important role of arts education classes in
keeping students in school, particularly at the high school
level. In Florida, we have found that students identified
as potentially at-risk but who are active in music programs,
are more on task in school, identify strongly with their
schools, and indicate that participation in music programs
was an important factor in their decision to stay in school.
Administrators confirm this data.
According to The College Board (Profiles of SAT and Achievement
Test Takers), there is a direct correlation between improved
SAT scores and the length of time spent studying the arts.
Those children who studied the arts for four or more years
scored 60 points higher on verbal and 41 points higher on
math portions of the SAT (for a combined total of 101 points)
than students with no coursework or experience in the arts.
For many disadvantaged students, participation in music
and arts programs helps to break the cycle of failure they
have so often encountered in life. While study after study
demonstrates that participation by disadvantaged children
in a well developed, sequential music program can be extremely
beneficial academically, socially, and emotionally, these
are the very students who are most often denied this instruction.
Middle- and upper-income parents who have the resources
are able to provide private instruction for their children.
But not all children have that luxury, and many are denied
access to the benefits of education in music and the other
arts if their schools do not provide it.
Implications for Education Reform
The research clearly shows that music instruction, taught
by qualified teachers, produces measurable enhancements
in the development of children’s brains, resulting
in significant educational benefits. It is important to
note, however, that the cognitive and academic improvements
highlighted by the research come about only with sequential
instruction in music provided by qualified teachers, not
through mere exposure to music. Music exposure and enrichment
programs, such as trips to hear performances of the local
symphony, are the types of activities that are funded under
Title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. They
are vital because of the pleasure they provide and the critical
role they play in enhancing education. They often furnish
the spark that inspires a child to pursue formal study in
the arts and should continue to be funded and supported.
Yet, they cannot substitute for formal instruction as part
of the regular school day. Dr. Rauscher emphasized this
when she noted that “there is no scientific data indicating
that, when provided in isolation from music instruction,
enrichment and exposure programs induce long-term cognitive
benefits. It is important not to confuse these forms of
musical involvement.” For this reason, it is not sufficient
to support only arts exposure and enrichment programs under
the guise of “arts education.” In order to realize
the cognitive and academic benefits illustrated by the research,
federal support must also be directed to schools to help
them establish, retain, and strengthen arts education programs.
Unfortunately, this needed support does not currently exist.
Because of the misperception that music and the other arts
are “frills,” school arts programs are the first
to be eliminated when budgets are restricted. The problem
is most acute in poor urban and rural areas, but it is a
problem shared by virtually all school districts to one
degree or another. Just recently, the San Francisco School
District made the tragic decision to eliminate its elementary
school arts programs.
One contributing factor in the decision to cut music and
arts classes from the school curriculum is the ever-present
quest to improve standardized test scores, particularly
in reading and math. This has led many principals to choose
more time for instruction in reading and math at the expense
of the arts. This choice is an error rooted in lack of awareness
of the latest research and failure to appreciate the power
of the arts to positively impact student self-esteem, self-worth,
as well as student performance in other academic subjects.
We have to be concerned about the culture of our schools.
Music programs can make the school a more humane learning
environment because they invite cooperation rather than
confrontation. Music connects students to schools in a wonderfully
positive way. That connection is needed more today than
ever before. And, it is a connection that we must make in
every school. Too often, it is the children who would most
benefit from instruction in music and the other arts (children
in schools characterized by low achievement) who do not
have access to the artistic, academic, and personal benefits
of music education.
As noted by Joan Schmidt, National Board Member of the
National School Boards Association, “Ironically, at
a time when education research indicates the need to move
in one direction, political pressures dictate another. Recent
public concerns about basic skills in reading and mathematics
have led some school districts to narrow their curriculum,
eliminating ostensibly peripheral subjects like music, in
an effort to improve scores on standardized tests.”[iii]
Ms. Schmidt goes on to state that if the goal of education
reform is to improve student achievement, policymakers should
take note of the latest research. Music education should
be part of the core curriculum for every child.
What Congress Can Do
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Reauthorization
As Congress considers legislation to reauthorize ESEA,
MENC asks that you work with us to:
1. Reinforce the concept of music and arts education as
part of the core curriculum.
Music and the other arts are core academic subjects and
have been recognized as such by Congress and the Administration
in GOALS 2000. This status should be confirmed and reinforced
in ESEA legislation. Incorporating the Statement of Principles
into ESEA is one way to accomplish this.
2. Strengthen music and arts education programs authorized
under Title X by establishing a formal consultative role
for arts educators in determining the nature, scope, and
direction of these programs.
Currently, no such role exists in the statute. It makes
no sense for education policy to be determined and executed
without the involvement of educators.
3. Ensure greater access to school music programs for at-risk
students.
Special efforts are needed to make certain that disadvantaged
students have the same access to comprehensive, balanced,
and sequential instruction in music as students in more
affluent districts. MENC would be pleased to work with the
Subcommittee to identify school programs that are making
successful use of music with disadvantaged children to determine
what they are doing, how it has led to their success, and
how these programs can be replicated throughout the country.
4. Prioritize funding so that arts education grants are
available to schools.
We understand the budget constraints that Congress faces.
All disciplines and programs must compete for scarce dollars.
However, simply re-ordering priorities in light of the scientific
research on the link between music education and higher
achievement potential in math and science would be an effective
beginning.
5. Make certain that federal funds that are directed to
after-school arts activities are not used to replace in-school
music and arts classes.
Investing in after-school programs is sound policy. There
appears to be an urgent need for these programs, and MENC
fully supports this type of investment. But if the arts
become relegated to an after-school activity, they lose
their rightful status as a core academic subject. And, children
who cannot take advantage of after-school programs because
of conflicts with sports or work commitments or for other
reasons, will be denied access to the significant benefits
achieved through arts education.
The Congressional Bullypulpit
Beyond what Congress can accomplish through legislation,
Congress can exercise a leadership role in disseminating
to parents, school administrators, and state education officials
information on the music/brain research and its implications
for education reform. Congress can accomplish this task
through hearings, town hall meetings, floor statements,
media outreach, and other effective uses of the powerful
Congressional bullypulpit. As Congress places greater emphasis
on state and local flexibility, its role as communicator
and disseminator of information becomes even more crucial.
Parents, school boards, and state policymakers want to do
what is best for our children, but their decisions must
be based on the best information available.
Conclusion
MENC stands ready to work with this Subcommittee and with
Congress as you consider ways to strengthen educational
opportunities and achievement for all children. We would
like to serve as a resource to you as you develop legislation
and hopefully undertake to spread the message to your constituents
about the importance of music and arts education.
[i] Testimony of Dr. Frances Rauscher, submitted to Senate
HELP Committee, March 1999.
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Article by Joan Schmidt, Montana School Boards Association
Newsletter, April 1998.
