Making Music Mandatory

Music and sports are viewed as two opposites, after all, one has teamwork, builds confidence, teaches students to work under pressure, and requires major amounts of discipline.No matter which one came to mind in that last sentence, both fit . These lessons taught are the same yet physical education is a required course and band is not. For every student that is not musically inclined, there are just as many who are not physically inclined.

The thought of band being required just as much as physical education is not unreasonable. Replace balls and bats with instruments and stands, gym shoes with music sheets, and it is apparent the same lessons are being taught in both subjects. Teamwork is the same whether taught through badminton or a duet, and even more so because the competitive nature is not there, which lets students learn to work together not against each other . Taking a foul shot and improvising a solo in a piece both teach confidence.Standing up to for a solo with an audience full of people watching build confidence that is lacking in students today . Any athlete would say that their sport takes dedication, getting up early for practice, extra work at home, and huge pressure. These are all things band students know just as well.. Discipline and determination are both things that “millennials’ are said to lack. Getting up early in the morning to go to rehearsal demands both, no one wants to get up earlier, but through this, they learn not only their instruments but all the aforementioned skills.

Music classes and band classes also have many advantages over sports and P.E. The instruments used in school have no cost to students, alternately to sports equipment that can be very expensive. Skills taught in band help with school work, stress relief, and relationships. The same determination that keeps young musicians from giving up on that high note also helps them in figuring out difficult problems in other courses. Playing a slow song is a relaxing experience, unlike the heart attack like feeling that comes from sports. Playing instrument also helps students get better grades. Reading sheet music requires math skills and symbol recognition. The diligence for going to practice also follows through to going to class along with getting work done and working hard.

Everything taught in band is also attractive for people that are hiring students now or in the future. Teamwork and problem solving are a necessary in all forms of work. The competitiveness of sports can be a good push but more often than not, it goes too far and leads to fights and even trust issues. Music, on the other hand, is something that brings people together. In music, the whole band works together and are judged based on their performance as a group, not compared to each of the individual players in the band. others. Learning to play music is rewarding, it aids to increase self esteem, as well as being a way to express oneself as well as a sense of belonging from being a necessary member in the band.

Physical Education is important and should not be replaced by music. Both classes should be mandatory, not only do they reinforce the same message, but making students take both would also prevent the idea of “us versus them” between band students and athletic students. The lessons taught in Band and Physical Education go hand in hand and so should them being mandatory.