However, no one plays for free. Therefore, we always charge some kind of fee. She has found that even a modest fee helps ensure that the student and family will take good care of the instrument. Avon's unusual procurement system for musical instrument calls for careful planning. But she adds that it's well worth the extra work.
Most people believe that music instruction makes for well-rounded students.
A 1994 Gallup survey found that 85 percent believe communities should provide financial resources to support music programs, and 71 percent think music education should be mandated by their state. Nevertheless, in the real world music programs are often first to come under the knife when school budgets need trimming. But changes are in the air, thanks to a rapidly growing body of research that links musical activity to brain growth in children. And the benefits of music are not limited to the very young. A more recent study by the same team found that music training is far superior to computer instruction in enhancing the higher brain functions required for math, science, and engineering.