This page contains resources that you might use in your advocacy efforts. We encourage you to review the information and select that which best suits your individual situation. If you have questions about advocacy or would like help in your efforts, please contact advocacy@nafme.org
Music for Music’s Sake
This page includes links to resources addressing why music and the arts are unique and valuable for their own sake.
Research
This page includes a compilation of peer-reviewed research, including summaries and links to the original articles, that may be useful in advocating for music education. The research is divided into the below categories.
Music Education and Brain Development
This page contains research addressing the relationship between music education and brain development.
Music Education and Math/Spatial Reasoning
This page contains research showing a correlation between voluntary music instruction and achievement in math. It also contains studies demonstrating a correlation between early music instruction and improvements in spatial reasoning.
Music Education and Reading/Verbal Skills
This page contains research showing correlations between music instruction and reading skills, auditory discrimination, vocabulary, and verbal memory.
Music Education and Academic Achievement
This page contains data showing correlations between music education and scores on standardized tests, including SAT, IQ, math, and reading tests. It also includes studies suggesting that music education does not improve test scores.
Music and Successful Schools
This page contains studies showing correlations between music participation and graduation rates as well as music participation and attendance rates.
Music and Social-Emotional Development
This page contains studies showing correlations between music education and personal fulfillment, self-esteem, volunteer work, and measures of social capital.
(Please note that correlation is not the same as causation. The above studies may demonstrate a correlation between music education and other measures. However, unless researchers included a control group, they cannot assert that music education caused changes in other measures. It is important to know the limitations of any research and to advocate for music education using multiple rationales.)
Personal Stories
The stories of students, parents, and community members can serve as important advocacy tools. This page contains some selected stories collected by NAfME.
Quotes
This page contains quotations about music by various renowned people.
