Music in schools

    Since I work in an after school program I see kids all the time. I recently saw a 4th grade boy come in with a flute case. I saw him and said "So you are learning to play the flute."He was astounded to know that just by looking at the case. I explained that while I was in elementary school I too learned how to play the flute. I remembered that last year there were several kids that had instruments. They had clarinets and trumpets, but this year only a single flute. I remember all the things my music teacher would tell us about the importance of learning an instrument. It helped you better in school. I was in a band at school with several other kids, and could only stay there with certain grades. I do not remember a single member being kicked out because he was not doing well in school. It helps promote self discipline, something I see lacking a lot in the kids in after school.
    This makes me want to keep a closer on this child who is now starting to learn an instrument. He has given many problems to me and other counselors about behavior and not doing work. He does not pay attention to people speaking to him. I feel that it is worth a shot to see if these benefits to learning music are true. There is a counselor there who is actually majoring in music, and has played recitals, but he is a major jerk. He has made several children in my group cry by making fun of them for losing at games. These benefits do not say that you will be a better person , but if you can be smart, have high IQ, and be successful in life, then sure you should know how to act more professional.
    This shows that there are differences in many aspects of people who learn music, from what I have seen in more mainstream music, is that the people who can play an instrument (usually the more classical ones) and sing are usually the ones that you hear are better people. The ones that have huge egos, and only sing, have people in the background write and play their music for them, they do not even get a band name. They could easily be fired a nobody will miss them, cause no one know who they were. One last final point, many people have said that the beetles are the most famous rock band, many contemporary artist claim that they are an influence to their music, they never learned to read music, they played by ear. Would the benefits of music still count if you do not have a formal music education?


Works cited
"Benefits of Music Education"2013 Children's Music Workshop Web. Spring 2002