According to a German Institute for Economic Research study, teens who take music lessons outside of school score significantly higher in terms of cognitive skills, have better grades, and are more conscientious and ambitious than their peers. ~ Hille, Al, Schupp, J., (2013), “How Learning a Musical Instrument Affects the Development of Skills,” SOEPpapers: The German Socio-Economic Panel at DIW Berlin

“The creative arts are the measure and reflection of our civilization. They offer many children an opportunity to see life with a larger perspective…The moral values we treasure are reflected in the beauty and truth that is emotionally transmitted through the arts. The arts say something about us to future generations.” ~ Ann P. Kahn, Former President of The National PTA

“In my own philanthropy and business endeavors, I have seen the critical role that the arts play in stimulating creativity and in developing vital communities….the arts have a crucial impact on our economy and are an important catalyst for learning, discovery, and achievement in our country.” ~ Paul G. Allen, Co-Founder, Microsoft

“The future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create.” ~ President Barack Obama

The College Entrance Examination Board found that students involved in public school music programs scored 107 points higher on the SAT’s than students with no participation. ~ Profiles of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, compiled by the Music Educators National Conference (2002)

A study at the University of California at Irvine demonstrated that young kids who participated in music instruction showed dramatic enhancements in abstract reasoning skills. In fact, researchers have found neural firing patterns that suggest that music may hold the key to higher brain function. ~ Rauscher, Shaw, Levine , Ky and Wright, “Music and Spatial Task Performance: A Causal Relationship,” University of California , Irvine , 1994

Music and math are highly intertwined. By understanding beat, rhythm, and scales, children are learning how to divide, create fractions, and recognize patterns. ~ Lynn Kleiner, founder of Music Rhapsody in Redondo Beach, CA

Two-thirds (67%) of Americans say music education provides people with a disciplined approach to solving problems. ~ July 2014 Harris Poll

“We need people who think with the creative side of their brains—people who have played in a band, who have painted…it enhances symbiotic thinking capabilities, not always thinking in the same paradigm, learning how to kick-start a new idea, or how to get a job done better, less expensively.” ~ Annette Byrd, GlaxoSmithKline

Music education lays the foundation for individual excellence in group settings, creative problem solving, and flexibility in work situations. ~ July 2014 Harris Poll

“The arts significantly boost student achievement, reduce discipline problems, and increase the odds students will go on to graduate from college. As First Lady Michelle Obama sums up, both she and the President believe ‘strongly that arts education is essential for building innovative thinkers who will be our nation’s leaders for tomorrow.” ~ Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education

“The arts are central to who we are as a people, and they are central to the success of our kids. This is not an afterthought. This is not something you do because it’s nice to do. It is necessary for these young people to succeed that we promote the arts.” ~ President Barack Obama

“The Arts and Sciences, essential to the prosperity of the State and to the ornament of human life, have a primary claim to the encouragement of every lover of his country and mankind.” ~ George Washington

“Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and by studying music in schools, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective.” ~ Bill Clinton, Former President of the United States

Studies have shown that assiduous instrument training from an early age can help the brain to process sounds better, making it easier to stay focused when absorbing other subjects, from literature to tensor calculus. ~ Hearing the music, honing the mind. (2010). Scientific American, 303(5), 16

Seven in ten Americans (71%) say that the learnings and habits from music education equips people to be better team players in their careers. ~ The Harris Poll®, July 2014

“Art is a nation’s most precious heritage. For it is in our works of art that we reveal to ourselves and to others the inner vision which guides us as a nation. And where there is no vision, the people perish.” ~ Lyndon Johnson, on signing into existence the National Endowment for the Arts

The skills gained through sequential music instruction, including discipline and the ability to analyze, solve problems, communicate and work cooperatively, are vital for success in the 21st century workplace. ~ U.S. House of Representatives, Concurrent Resolution 355, March 6, 2006

“In the push for quality math, science, technical, humanities, and other programs, please be sure that the arts are not ignored or pushed to one side. Provide your political support for the total curriculum. The arts enrich all of us.” ~ Dr. Richard Miller, Executive Director American Association of School Administrators

“Teens indicate making music provides the freedom for teens to just be themselves; to be different; to be something they thought they could never be; to be comfortable and relaxed in school and elsewhere in their lives.” ~ Shehan Campbell, Patricia. Adolescents’ Expressed Meanings of Music In and Out of School