Elementary Strings and Band - Save the Music

Elementary Strings and Band are on the chopping block if the levy does not pass.

What our children will no longer be learning:
Violin, Viola, Cello, String Bass, Saxophone, Trumpet, Tuba, Trombone

What our children may miss without music education:

• 20% higher math and English scores
• increased motivation
• better attitudes about school
• team-building skills
• creativity
  

Music education is often the first to be cut; yet, research shows that it contributes positively to a bevy of academic indicators such as achievement in math and English, attitudes towards school, graduation rates motivation, and the list goes on and on. There are real, concrete, academic outcomes from music education. And, of course, we benefit from it culturally and personally.

My fifth grader just picked up her first string instrument this year and the sense of excitement and determination on her face when she plucked that first note and drew the bow across the strings was palpable. The instrument probably won't be easy for her, but  if she sticks to it, she'll be motivated by the music she's eeking out of it and learn that persistence pays off.

I can't imagine not having these programs in a district like Worthington. The schools were a primary reason we chose to move here one year ago. We looked in Bexley and Upper Arlington and determined that Worthington schools offered as much. We chose to move here because of  the excellent schools. This is not about us, but about reasons that Worthington remains a desirable community in which to live. You can expect it to become less desirable when the community no longer supports the schools.

Some facts to chew on:

A 1996 Gallup Poll revealed that 96% of Americans believe that music is a key component to a child's well-rounded education.

Teachers rate arts-rich schools higher on affiliation, student support, professional interest, teacher innovativeness, and resource adequacy than systems with poor arts programs.

From: "Learning In and Through the Arts: The Question of Transfer," Judith M. Burton, Robert Horowitz, and Hal Abeles, Studies in Art Education, 2000, 41(3): 228-257

The YouthARTS Development Project conducted a study in 2000 of at-risk youth in Atlanta, Portland, and San Antonio. It found that arts participants had an increase in positive attitudes regarding school, self-esteem, and self-efficacy.

From: (2000). "Youth Demonstrating Effective Communication Skills: Pre- vs. Post-YouthARTS Program." Americans for the Arts.