We continue our Director Spotlight Interviews with Performing Arts Department Chair and Director of Orchestras at Avon HS, Mr. Dean Westman. He has built a very successful orchestra program in the Avon School Corporation from the ground up and his story is one that we think you will enjoy!
A study of almost one thousand Finnish pupils who took part in extended music classes, found they reported higher satisfaction at school in almost every area, even those not related to the music classes themselves. ~ Eerola & Eerola, “Extended music education enhances the quality of school life,” Music Education Research, 2013.
A study of 8 to 11-year-olds found that, those who had extra-curricular music classes, developed higher verbal IQ, and visual abilities, in comparison to those with no musical training. ~ Forgeard et al., “Practicing a Musical Instrument in Childhood is Associated with Enhanced Verbal Ability and Nonverbal Reasoning,” PLOS One, 2008.
Playing a musical instrument strengthens eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills, and kids who study an instrument learn a lot about discipline, dedication and the rewards of hard work. ~ http://nisom.com/index.php/instruction/health-benefits
Kids who make music have been shown to get along better with classmates and have fewer discipline problems. More of them get into their preferred colleges, too. ~ http://nisom.com/index.php/instruction/health-benefits
Rick Granlund, Director of Bands at North Central HS, provides us on his philosophy on ISSMA contest prep, North Central’s band culture and why it works and their approach to solo and ensemble. Solo & Ensemble Tips ISSMA Contest Prep Building A Culture
Research at McGill University in Montreal, Canada showed that grade-school kids who took music lessons scored higher on tests of general and spatial cognitive development, the abilities that form the basis for performance in math and engineering. ~ http://nisom.com/index.php/instruction/health-benefits
Teens described their music teachers as encouraging, motivating and acting as both role models and friends that can be trusted for listening and giving advice. ~ Presentation to U.S. Congress, 2007, Washington D.C. (Invited and arranged by the National Association of Music Merchants/NAMM, on “The Impact of Music on the Lives of Children and Adolescents”).
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 is no cure-all, nor is it likely to turn your child into a Nobel Prize winner. But there is compelling evidence that it can boost children’s academic performance and help fix some of our schools’ most intractable problems. ~ Joanne Lipman, “A Musical Fix for American Schools,” The Wall Street Journal, October 10, 2014.
Our next Director Spotlight is on Mr. Rick Granlund, 6-12 Performing Arts Department Chair and Director of Bands at North Central High School in Indianapolis. Rick leads an amazing program at North Central where almost 300 students choose to be in the band program. We hope you enjoy this spotlight on Mr. Granlund!
Researchers found that after two years, children who not only regularly attended music classes, but also actively participated in the class, showed larger improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores than their less-involved peers. ~ Nina Kraus, director of Northwestern’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, quoted in Melissa Locker, “This Is How Music Can Change Your Brain,” Time, December 16, 2014.
Secondary students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse). ~ Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse Report. Reported in Houston Chronicle, January 1998
Music education lays the foundation for individual excellence in group settings, creative problem solving, and flexibility in work situations ~ July 2014 Harris Poll
Two-thirds (67%) of Americans say music education provides people with a disciplined approach to solving problems. ~ July 2014 Harris Poll
We recently sat down with Jay Webb, Director of Bands at Avon High school for our most recent Director Spotlight. The interview is one of the most popular spotlights we’ve done in the series. We hope you enjoy Jay’s tips on competition, culture development and program balance. The Benefits of Competition Concert Band and Marching Band Balance Building A Culture
Seven in ten Americans (71%) say that the learnings and habits from music education equip people to be better team players in their careers. ~ July 2014 Harris Poll
Eight in 10 teachers and more than seven in 10 parents believe the number of minutes of music education required every week is an important quality component. ~ NAMM Foundation and Grunwald Associates LLC (2015). Striking a Chord: The Public’s Hopes and Beliefs for K–12 Music Education in the United States: 2015.
Nearly half of parents and teachers support integrating music into the professional development of all educators ~ NAMM Foundation and Grunwald Associates LLC (2015). Striking a Chord: The Public’s Hopes and Beliefs for K–12 Music Education in the United States: 2015.
Substantial majorities of both teachers and parents view student access to music and arts education as “extremely” or “very” important. ~ NAMM Foundation and Grunwald Associates LLC (2015). Striking a Chord: The Public’s Hopes and Beliefs for K–12 Music Education in the United States: 2015.
