The statement on Keeping Music in the Schools generated a session at the NATS National Conference in Orlando, July 2012. The AATS believe that everyone should have the opportunity to participate in musically educative activities from highly qualified and inspired music educator. Humans benefit cognitively, socially, and emotionally from the opportunity to participate in music. Cognitive benefits include the integration of the right and left brain, kinesthetic coordination, creative processing. Social benefits include group decision making, collaboration-cooperation, and peer-to-peer learning. Emotional benefits include continued growth of the integrative self. Extrinsic benefits of music include improved attendance, improved graduation rates, and higher academic achievement. Music education should not be the sacrificial lamb, and neither should other classes be sacrificed for music.
Keeping Music in the Schools