As a musician I can tell you the only class I ever felt at home in was Music Class. Music class was where I received most of my positive reinforcement in elementary school and every student needs a place to be special.

Music In Schools, This Is Why We Fight

The reason we fight to keep music in our schools is because some children, like me, feel most comfortable in Music Class. Not all children are great at what we call “core” subjects and we can’t ignore or take away the areas that they excel in just because it doesn’t directly relate to a better test score.

Does Your Child Have Music Intelligence?

Some people have Musical Intelligence just like others my have Linguistic or Logical Intelligences. Psychologist Howard Gardner defines Musical Intelligence as:

Musical intelligence is the capacity to discern pitch, rhythm, timbre, and tone. This intelligence enables us to recognize, create, reproduce, and reflect on music, as demonstrated by composers, conductors, musicians, vocalist, and sensitive listeners. Interestingly, there is often an affective connection between music and the emotions; and mathematical and musical intelligences may share common thinking processes. Young adults with this kind of intelligence are usually singing or drumming to themselves. They are usually quite aware of sounds others may miss.

I love the part of the definition that says students are usually singing or drumming to themselves. Go to any school and watch children in a classroom and you can pick these children out just by observing them during class work time. Core teachers have to be careful balancing what is disturbing to others and what’s simply “being normal” to a student who has this type of intelligence.

 

Lucky Kids

Some kids just have all the luck. My daughter is one of them; she excels in core classes and also in Music Class in School and also in applied Music Lessons. My son on the other hand especially when he was younger had a hard time in core subjects but excelled Musically in school and in his private lessons. In either case though I can’t imagine sending either child to a school without a music program.

 

Who The Smart Kids Are

We like to say that the smart kids are the ones who excel in Language or Math but we aren’t doing children justice. Instead educators need to find ways to encourage many different types of learning and intelligence.

 

Music In School Is The Best Part Of My Day

Some children love History, Language, Reading, or Math. Some of those and other children like Art, P.E, Music, Computer Lab, or Technology. We would all hope that most kids would like and enjoy more then one of these subjects. What we have to be careful of is taking to many away because the “value” of some is thought to be greater then others. We need them all and most importantly or children need them all.