I am no musician. Neither is my husband. As a former accountant, I worked with numbers, and as a lawyer my husband works around the clock for his clients. But neither of us has been able to pick up an instrument and play like a natural, or hum a tune on pitch while driving the kids to school.
So when our children started kindergarten at Alderwood Elementary School in Irvine Unified and began getting involved in music education, we were shocked by their enthusiasm for the arts.
My daughter, Sophie, now in seventh grade at Rancho San Joaquin Middle School, chose the violin as her instrument in fourth grade, and I immediately noticed a change in her. Sophie fell in love with her instrument and the art of learning it well, and drew inspiration from her teacher, Johanna Kroesen. Sophie eventually earned a seat in the Honors Orchestra, performing onstage at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. Through Irvine Unified, and funding from Irvine Public Schools Foundation, Irvine students are exposed to music education through the primary music program for grades K-3 and the instrumental music program for grades 4-6.
My son Charlie, now in fifth grade at Alderwood Elementary School, has been playing the cello for a year, and also has a passion for music.
Because of music education, I have seen something new in both of my children – pride, determination, and that inexplicable confidence that they can accomplish and achieve anything through hard work and practice. These are lifelong skills.
Here are three statistics that my family can particularly relate to when it comes to music education:
Minds benefit. A Stanford University study has shown that music engages parts of the brain that are linked to paying attention, making predictions and memory. Children who study music tend to have larger vocabularies and more advanced reading skills than their peers who are not engaged in music.
Hearts benefit. Students learn to express their emotions better through music. This creativity learned at a young age will affect their coping skills for a lifetime.
Schools benefit. Schools with music programs have an estimated 90.2 percent higher graduation rate and 93.9 percent higher attendance rate compared with schools without music education, which average 72.9 percent graduation and 84.9 percent attendance rates.
Supporting music
Despite state budget cuts to music education, the Irvine Public Schools Foundation has stepped up and donated $400,000 per year for music programs for Irvine Unified students. This year my husband and I have joined the President’s Circle for IPSF, and we are working alongside other parents who have seen the benefits of music education for our children.
Now every time I see my daughter and son onstage, expressing their passion and hard work, I am reminded of the critical role that music education has played in my family’s life – even when I least expected it.
Kristina Lee is a local parent who has a child in the Irvine Unified School District.
