Music Advocacy

Proof That Music Matters (In Case They Still Need Convincing)

Because fighting for your program shouldn’t be a solo act.

The data? Rock solid. The stories? Unforgettable. Whether you’re convincing a principal or defending your program at a board meeting, you’ve got backup. Music education doesn’t just matter - it transforms.

Higher
Academic
Achievement

Children who study a musical instrument are more likely to excel in all subjects.

Source: Arete Music Academy

Enhanced
Brain
Function

Music training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language.

Source: Educational Leadership

Improved
Sound
Processing

Children with learning disabilities or dyslexia who tend to lose focus with more noise could benefit greatly from music lessons.

Source: Psychology of Music

Greater
Neural
Development

Children who had music lessons showed different brain development and improved memory over the course of a year.

Source: PLOS One

Stronger Reading
& Language
Skills

Children who study music tend to have larger vocabularies and more advanced reading skills.

Source: Arete Music Academy

Increased
IQ

Music lessons appear to enhance general intelligence and improve performance on a variety of tasks.

Source: Psychological Science

Executive
Function
Boost

Musicians use both sides of their brain more frequently than the average person, aiding executive function and multitasking.

Source: Journal of Neuroscience

Better Verbal
& Reasoning
Skills

Practicing a musical instrument in childhood is associated with enhanced verbal ability and nonverbal reasoning.

Source: PLOS One

More
Satisfied
Students

Students in extended music education programs reported higher satisfaction at school in almost every area.

Source: Music Education Research

Improved
Spatial
Skills

Students involved in music scored higher on tests of general and spatial cognitive development—important for math and engineering.

Source: McGill University

Broad
Public
Support

Nine in ten adults believe students benefit from having music included in their curriculum.

Source: Harris Poll

Higher
Attendance
Rates

Schools with music programs have an average attendance rate of 93.3%, compared to 84.9% in schools without them.

Source: The National Association for Music Education

Strength In Numbers

  • Students in top-quality instrumental programs scored 17% higher in mathematics than children in schools without a music program and 33% higher than students in a deficient choral program (Journal for Research in Music Education).

  • Students in top-quality instrumental programs scored 19% higher in English than students in schools without a music program and 32% higher than students in a deficient choral program (Journal for Research in Music Education).

  • Schools that have music programs have an attendance rate of 93.3% compared to 84.9% in schools without music programs (The National Association for Music Education).

  • Fewer than half of teachers (42%) and parents (46%) say their schools have the musical instruments they need for all students who want to learn to play (NAMM Foundation and Grunwald Associates LLC).

  • Just 41% of teachers and 46% of parents say their schools have enough sheet music for every participating child (NAMM Foundation and Grunwald Associates LLC).

  • More than 80 percent of teachers, and nearly as many parents, say that the time allotted to music education—adequate rehearsal time, class duration, and class frequency—is important for a quality music education program (NAMM Foundation and Grunwald Associates LLC).

  • 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).

  • African-American parents (76%) and Hispanic parents (75%) are significantly more likely than Caucasian parents (67%) to enroll their children in school music classes where opportunities exist (NAMM Foundation and Grunwald Associates LLC).

  • 21% of African-American parents and 22% of Hispanic parents report no music programs in their schools, compared to 15% of Caucasian parents (NAMM Foundation and Grunwald Associates LLC).

  • 87% of teachers and 79% of parents strongly believe music education has a positive impact on overall academic performance (NAMM Foundation and Grunwald Associates LLC).

  • 83% of teachers and 73% of parents say budget cuts in music education are detrimental to students (NAMM Foundation and Grunwald Associates LLC).

  • On average, both teachers and parents would be more willing to cut spending in 12 of 15 other programs before they’d cut funding for music and arts education (NAMM Foundation and Grunwald Associates LLC).

  • Be Part of the Music is a free recruitment, retention, and advocacy resource used by over 16,000 music educators nationwide.

  • Designed to help teachers at all levels increase and maintain student participation in music programs.

  • Resources include parent newsletters, website builders, recruitment videos, customizable documents, and a full recruitment blueprint.

  • Programs using Be Part of the Music report an average annual increase of 18 new students in their ensembles.

  • Tools are designed to simplify the recruitment process and save educators valuable time.

  • All resources are available at no cost.