Music Education Statistics and Facts
107
points scored higher on the SAT for students involved in public school music programs according to the college entrance examination board
In an analysis of U.S. Department of Education data on more than 25,000 secondary school students, researchers found that students who report consistent high levels of involvement in instrumental music over the middle and high school years show “significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12.” This observation holds true regardless of students’ socio-economic status, and differences in those who are involved with instrumental music vs. those who are not is more significant over time.
Catterall, James S., Richard Chapleau, and John Iwanaga. “Involvement in the Arts and Human Development: General Involvement and Intensive Involvement in Music and Theater Arts.” Los Angeles, CA: The Imagination Project at UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, 1999.
The College Board, in a publication about college admissions, states, “Preparation in the arts will be valuable to college entrants whatever their intended field of study.”
Academic Preparation for College: What Students Need To Know and Be Able To Do, The College Board
The arts are one of the six subject areas in which the College Board recognizes as essential in order to thrive in college.
Academic Preparation for College: What Students Need to Know and Be Able to Do, 1983 [still in use], The College Board, New York
70%
​of admissions officers of the nation’s major universities say high school credit and achievement in the arts are significant considerations for admission
94%
of respondents (Gallup poll), believe music is part of a well-rounded education and should be offered as part of the regular curriculum in schools.
“The arts enrich communities and employees, and also stimulate the kind of intellectual curiosity our company needs to stay competitive.”
Norma R. Augustine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Martin Marietta Corporation.
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Nine out of ten adults and teenagers who play instruments agree that music making brings the family closer together.
Music Making and Our Schools, American Music Conference, 2000.
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Ninety-two (92) percent of people who play an instrument say they were glad they learned to do so, according to a 2000 Gallup Poll.
Gallup Poll Shows Strong Support for Putting Music in Every School’s Curriculum, Giles Communications, 2000.
Click above to see a list of famous people who were in band in middle school and high school!