Broader Minded

THINK

BEYOND THE BUBBLES:

• In an age where teachers are forced to focus solely on narrowly construed measures of educational success (i e , standardized tests and other quantifiable achievement scores), music education offers a unique opportunity to engage deeply with students’ creativity, curiosity, and motivations

• Studies have shown positive links between engagement with music and academic achievement While important, these data are still a small part of the big picture Music helps develop the student behind the score—students who are curious, motivated, engaged, and confident in their ability to succeed in our society

BROADER-MINDED ARGUMENTS FOR MUSIC EDUCATION:

• Music students have a unique opportunity to receive immediate feedback and to reflect on their progress, make needed adjustments, and improve based on their own observations of their performance

• Students learn the value of discipline, determination, and “grit”— achieving goals in the face of obstacles

• Students get the chance to fail, and try again They gain confidence and self-understanding, and learn to manage better their emotions and decision-making processes .

• Students get the chance to develop a greater emotional awareness through music, particularly during collaboration, and to consider the thoughts and feelings of others .

• Students get the chance to develop a tolerance for process They refine their thinking as part of the creative process; they gain the ability to re-evaluate goals and adjust approaches to an objective CONCLUSIONS:

• We believe that music education is invaluable in developing successful students Music shapes the way our students understand themselves and the world around them . It allows for deep engagement with learning It nurtures assets and skills that are critical to future success

• Because of the special qualities and skills it helps to instill, we believe that music is essential to a superior 21st-century education .

• This is the broader-minded argument for music education It’s about bringing balance back to the curriculum, and the ways in which music offers opportunities to excel We’re bringing the focus back to the student, not the score

VISIT www broaderminded com

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR MUSIC EDUCATION