Persuasive Essay on Music Programs

Music Programs in Schools Lately it seems that everywhere schools have been cutting their music programs because of low budgets. In my opinion, cutting the music programs in schools is the wrong thing to do. I believe that all students should have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument or to practice their vocal skills. First of all, music programs are not just fun and educational, they are also very beneficial for success in school. Secondly, music programs in schools are beneficial for success in developing intelligence. Most importantly, music programs are very important and beneficial for success in life. Some people might say that music programs are just a waste of the school budget; I believe that there isn’t a better way for schools to use their money than on music programs. It has been proven that students who participate in a music program score higher on tests and do better in school. It doesn’t even matter if the students are in elementary school, middle school, or high school. According to a study done with 2nd graders (Graziano, Amy, Matthew Peterson, and Gordon Shaw), some students had piano keyboard training while other students did not. The students who participated in the piano keyboard training scored 27% higher in math tests than the students who didn’t participate in the music program. Another study with high school students (College-Bound Seniors National Report: Profile of SAT Program Test Takers) who took the SATs showed that students with experience in music performance and music appreciation scored higher, by up to 63 points, than students with no arts participation. There are multiple studies that prove time and time again that music programs are very valuable and beneficial for students. Music is very important in a young person’s life, because it plays a big part in developing intelligence. According to the book A User’s Guide to the Brain, "The musician is constantly adjusting decisions on tempo, tone, style, rhythm,