“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

“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

“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

“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;

With music in schools, students connect to each other better – greater camaraderie, fewer fights, less racism and reduced use of hurtful sarcasm. ~ Jensen,

“The arts are an essential element of education, just like reading, writing, and arithmetic…music, dance, painting, and theater are all keys that unlock profound human

“Arts education aids students in skills needed in the workplace: flexibility, the ability to solve problems and communicate, the ability to learn new skills, to

“The rapidly evolving global economy demands a dynamic and creative workforce. The arts and its related businesses are responsible for billions of dollars in cultural

“Students of all ages – that includes adults – generally find that music helps them focus more clearly on the task at hand and puts

Research indicates the brain of a musician, even a young one, works differently than that of a nonmusician. “There’s some good neuroscience research that children

The cognitive structures developed through music instruction “exposed and illuminated more general organizing structures relevant for multiple disciplines.” ~ Portowitz,P., Lichtenstein, O., Egorova, L., &

An analysis of data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 demonstrated a significant correlation between participation in school music groups and achievement in

“A broad education in the arts helps give children a better understanding of their world…We need students who are culturally literate as well as math

Children from “arts-rich” public schools score higher on expression, risk-taking, creativity-imagination, cooperative learning, and academic self-concept than children in “arts-poor” systems. ~ “Learning In and

“An elementary school that treats the arts as the province of a few gifted children, or views them only as recreation and entertainment, is a

A study examined the influence of music education on nonmusical abilities, the effects of music lessons on academic performance, and cognitive abilities. The study revealed

“GE hires a lot of engineers. We want young people who can do more than add up a string of numbers and write a coherent

The vast majority – 96 percent – of the school principals interviewed in a recent study agree that participation in music education encourages and motivates

“I believe arts education in music, theater, dance, and the visual arts is one of the most creative ways we have to find the gold

“To be the next great inventor of something we haven’t dreamed of yet, you need to have creative skills. Music really fosters those creative skills.”