So is the cost. Music educators point out that learning basic music theory, composition and even composer biographies matters just as much as hitting all the right notes. All that is imperative to music. Dial's high school band is good enough to march in Macy's annual Thanksgiving Day parade in New York. But the middle-school players who feed into the program had their daily band classes cut back to every other day.
Music education has powerful advocates, from the president to movie stars.
Last month, stars of rock, soul, blues and country music played under a giant tent on the White House lawn to support the cause of bringing music back to cash-starved schools around the country. Researchers lend their support by saying music can help cognitive processes such as attention, learning, memory, reasoning and problem-solving. All rights reserved.