Music is More Than Music.
As such, its power and potential as an educational tool is unparalleled. Music is more than notes
played and songs sung. Music is math. Music is reading. Music is language. Music is logic. The
research and data are clear in that children involved in music programs score higher on
standardized tests. It’s also clear that students involved with music programs are more
academically engaged and less likely to face disciplinary measures.
But that is simply scratching the surface as it applies to music’s educational impact. While
developing technical skills in math, reading, and language is critical; it is the development of
various personal skills, values, and characteristics that reveal the true extent of music’s
educational impact.
For example, music’s potential to teach creativity is unmatched. Every issue we face in today’s
increasingly fast-paced and interconnected world is becoming more complex. And to meet these
increasingly complex issues and challenges, we must develop in our populace a corresponding
increase in creativity; the ability to think out of the box and at a higher level. Music’s potential to
teach and inspire creativity is unparalleled.
That said, these technical and creative skills must also be accompanied by the ability to
collaborate with others; to bring diverse people and ideas together in a cooperative effort to
address those complex challenges. Once again, music’s potential to teach collaborative skills is
profound. In fact, many CEOs view creativity and the ability to collaborate with others as the
two most important and desired characteristics of today’s workforce.
At the most fundamental level, we are talking about leadership. Effective leadership results from
the combination of technical skills, creative instincts, and a collaborative mindset. Thus, given
music’s tremendous, positive impact of these three characteristics and the synergies they
produce, it is easy to see how music is unique in its ability to develop leadership skills.
In short, involvement in music programs creates leaders.
Some believe that nothing teaches teamwork and leadership skills better than team sports. While
sports can be effective in this regard, music is every bit as effective in teaching and developing
those skills. There is absolutely no difference between a five-person basketball team working
together to achieve a common goal of winning games and a five-person band working together to
achieve a common sound or style. Each requires communication skills, personal responsibility,
discipline, listening skills, collaboration, and sacrifice.
When you add its positive impacts on students and account for the enormous synergies generated
by those impacts, at its core, music is less about developing the next YoYo Ma but rather our
community, business, corporate, religious, military, and educational leaders of the future.
In short, music is more than music.
Dr. John R. Gerdy is Founder and Executive Director of Music For Everyone
