A letter from the President
of the SCBDA, Robert E. Wertz, III.

Other Letters

South Carolina Band Directors Association

"Straight Talk About Music Education: The Good Stuff" 

When I was a little boy my mother always told me not to brag and not to be too "full of myself." Why? Because "nice people" didn't do that. Celebrating our own "specialness" and letting our light shine may not make us feel comfortable. It seems that every magazine, tv commercial, newspaper and Internet site you visit these days suggests how to become slimmer, sexier, richer, happier, or healthier. We are obsessed with self-improvement.

I am not suggesting that we as music educators should ignore wrong notes or bad intonation, be braggarts, or become couch potatoes, but every once and a while we ought to celebrate our successes. Frankly, I want some relief from "teacher bashing" and public school "blame-putting", the current focus on "bad" students and uninvolved parents, and articles telling me that I were to lose 20 pounds I would become a happier, better person. I know that there are problems, but when we fail to take note and talk about what is "right" about education, our profession, our students, our ensembles, and our lives, we are missing a great opportunity to talk about the good stuff. Here is the GOOD STUFF.

There is a great deal of discussion these days in the media about the benefits of music in the lives of people of all ages, especially children. The good news is that there is considerable research that supports the value of music education. Here are some of the findings that have been replicated in careful research:

Increases SAT scores:
In 1999 the College Board discovered that "students with coursework/experience in music performance scored 52 points higher on the Verbal portion and 36 points higher on the Math portion of the SAT than students with no coursework or experience in the arts for a combined total of 88 points higher"

Provides Important Experiences:
In the 1998 publication by Dr. Frank Wilson titled "Music and Your Child" it was shown that musical activities provide children with important experiences that can help develop physical coordination, timing, memory, visual, aural, and language skills. They all gain a higher level of mental concentration and a heightened personal and social awareness.

Develops Quick and Decisive Thinking:
In his 1997 publication "Making Music Makes You Smarter" Dr. Frances Rauscher states that "during musical performance, children must constantly turn their thoughts into action. Thought structures continually have to be updated and adjusted."

Builds Teamwork Skills:
A 1997 Gallup survey on American Attitudes toward music education showed that "95 percent of respondents said that playing in a school band is a good way to develop teamwork skills."

Enhances Cooperation:
The University of Wisconsin in a recent project found that "the social climate of music instruction is marked by cooperation, whereas in most other subjects cooperation is replaced by competition." Only by working together can students play a musical performance. They learn that cooperation is a means to an end that can be applied to other goals.

Prepares Children for the Future:
The U.S. Department of Labor issued a report recently urging schools to teach for the future workplace. The skills they recommend (working in teams, communication, self-esteem, creative thinking, imagination, and invention) are exactly those learned in school band programs.

Well, those are the facts - the good stuff. My mother would probably fuss at me now for bragging or being "full of myself" but I am proud to be a music educator because I carry a special and unique opportunity to touch youngsters lives in a powerful and dynamic way. It is much more than teaching notes; it is more than filling up space between touchdowns. It is teaching how to function in society; it is the tolerance of others; it is learning harmony, both musical and personal; it is laughter; it is tears; it is memories; it is hard work; and most of all it is the discovery of self-worth and self-skills.

Young people should never, ever doubt the worth; never doubt the importance of even the most humble band experience. Quality, not quantity will measure their successes in their lives. They are all unique. They are all special. And for me… what a wonderful trust... what an exciting challenge. Thank you very much. See you on the Road.

Robert E. Wertz, III
President
South Carolina Band Directors Association