The Importance of Music Education in the School

It is the first week of my freshman year of high school. The school seems huge, and I am surrounded by what are basically strangers to me at this moment. Despite there being over two thousand students, every upperclassman seems to be at least familiar with each other. Nonetheless, I still manage to find meet up with my old friends during breakfast. Unfortunately, we do not share any classes at all this year. My first period is Geometry, a small class with all ninth graders. We are seated close together, but everyone is silent. We are not sure if we all have the same interests, so it makes sense that we might not have much to talk about. Eventually we will become sociable during our free time in class, but it takes days of lingering silence.  I continue to my next classes. 

Now it is time to attend my fifth hour, Orchestra II. This class feels different; everyone looks much older. As I am seated with my violin, we are instructed to introduce ourselves by our name, grade, and how long we have been playing our instrument. I learn that I am one out of two of the only freshmen in the room, the rest filled with mostly juniors, and seniors. I expect them to all be amicable towards each other, but I soon figure out the opposite. The orchestra director places us in small chamber groups: two violinists, one violist, and a cellist. We all take turns discussing why we like our instruments and what got us into playing. I soon learn why this class is unlike the others. We all have a common interest — the love of music.  

Unfortunately, many schools exclude music from their curriculums to make room for other subjects. Music education should be a course offered in every school. The social aspects provided are significant and often instigate lifelong friendships and incredible social skills.