Music In Education

While the vast majority of this website’s content is devoted to traditional music education programs, I think it is important to highlight the work of many educators who incorporate music in education.

Beth Butler, founder of “Boca Beth” teaches the Spanish language through songs, motions, and puppets. She produces CDs that alternate verses of Spanish lyrics with that of English lyrics to popular children’s songs and has found that the relaxed and fun attitude that students take with music helps them learn a new language quickly.

Music also has a close connection to social studies; understanding musical history is extremely important for gaining a broader sense of a particular culture. Whether examining instruments from Ancient Egypt, or exploring the growth of hip hop culture, music helps open doors to better comprehend the values that a society had.

Pythagoras was one of the first people to explore a connection between math and music, connecting the idea that certain proportions of a string would correspond with specific frequencies. The math and physics of acoustics can be a great way to incorporate ideas about music into math and science classes.

I have often spent time comparing music to languages, both written and spoken. I find that understanding the basic structure of writing can contribute to creativity in musical composition, and I am sure it would be equally valuable to consider musical compositions in the context of literature and writing as well.

Many innovative educational companies are releasing musical tracks to teach students concepts in other subject areas. I believe that this works especially well for elementary-aged children, and there is research to support that the incorporation of musical lyrics helps memory retention. But while we value educators who are utilizing music in their classrooms, we cannot view this as an acceptable stand-alone form of music education in schools.