Assignment 16: Speech: Why Music Matters - Tyler Rosenkrantz

Tyler Rosenkrantz

Matthew Logsdon

AP English Language and Composition

16 December 2015

Why Music Matters

“I hate music”, said no one ever. There has never been, and never will be anyone that hates all types of music. Someone may hate country and rap, but enjoy classical. There will always be some type of music that people enjoy. I know that most of you aren’t musicians, but I know that all of you listen to music. Listening to music is one of the best activities that your brain can do. Neuroscientists have monitored participants’ brain activity while performing various tasks. They saw that while reading a book, one part of the brain was active, and that while doing math, a different part was active. However, when the participants were monitored while listening to music, they saw “fireworks across the brain” (Collins). Multiple areas all across the brain were active at once as they processed the sound. The brain splits the music apart and processes each different element, such as melody and rhythm, and then splices them back together into one “unified musical experience”. All of that happens in the split second between when you hear the music and when you start to tap your foot along with the music.                                                                                                         

Playing a musical instrument does even more to the brain than listening does. Compared to the fireworks that you see in the brain while listening to music, the fireworks in the brain while playing an instrument, are like the San Diego fireworks from the fourth of July celebration from 2012 (For those of you unaware, there was a technical malfunction and all of the fireworks detonated at once- it was ginormous). The biggest difference between listening and actually playing an instrument, is that an instrument requires fine motor skills. Playing an instrument engages practically every area of the brain at once. There is no other activity that you can do regularly, and enjoy, that will cause this to happen. The introduction of fine motor skills into the process of playing an instrument involves both hemispheres of the brain. The left is responsible for the “linguistic and mathematical precision”, while the right hemisphere, deals more prominently with creativity and expression. A research team reports that early music training dramatically enhances children's abstract reasoning skills. These findings indicate that music uniquely enhances higher brain functions required for mathematics, chess, science and engineering. Yet, among all of these wonderful ways that music enhances your brain and your life, since 2002, funding for state-level-arts has dropped from $409 million to $272.4 million. That’s a 33% decrease. One third of the funding for music, nationwide, is gone.

Our band receives no money from the district at all. None. Every member of the band fundraises and works extra in order to keep our band program alive. We would have none of the opportunities that we have without the effort of everyone. Does the football team fundraise for their buses that take them to away games? I doubt it, or at least not exclusively like the band does. The same applies for any other club or team that you can think of – basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, soccer, etc. Before the arrival of Mr. Quenon at Henry Clay, the principal believed that the only purpose of the band was to serve the school and the sports teams, to play at pep band games. Surprise! That’s not the only point to band. Music students continually demonstrate higher test scores, and prove to be more adept in real-life situations. So why then, when money becomes tight, are the arts targeted for those budget cuts? Because it’s necessary to learn all of the core subjects, right? Because a mechanical engineer needs to know every tiny detail about world history, correct? Or an aspiring professional writer needs to be exceptional at Calculus 2 or physics?

Let me tell you about one of the world’s most extraordinary people, Derek Paravinci. This man is a savant. A savant is a person who has extreme mental disabilities, but shows prodigious abilities in an area that others would consider to be normal. Derek was born 25 weeks prematurely, and he is mentally handicapped. He shows signs of autism, as well as being blind, unable to tell his left from his right, and he cannot count to 10. Derek Paravinci, is unable to do most of the things that we take for granted in our everyday lives, much less what some have exceptional abilities to do! However, Derek Paravinci, is a genius. He has absolute pitch and remembers all of the thousands of songs he’s ever heard. He can play any piece of music perfectly after hearing it only once. His brain is a perfectly programmed musical computer. It  processes musical data with perfect accuracy and incredible speed.

But what does that mean for the rest of us, those who are considered normal? It shows us the true capabilities of music and the impact on the brain. It shows that maybe instead of focusing on school athletics, we should be focused more on music, and education.  “Playing music, to the brain, is the equivalent of a full body workout” (Collins).

Music requires effort and accuracy that is unrivaled in today’s society. In fact, music requires 100% accuracy. In baseball a .300 is a good batting average. And an 80% completion rate in football, or a 90% free throw percentage, is phenomenal! But what if you listened to music that was played at 80 or 90% accuracy? Not good, at all.

I’m not saying that everyone needs to play an instrument. There are 2500 students in this school, it’s just not possible. However, it is possible to listen to music, and you see the amazing effects that it has on your brain. Music helps all of us. It is a universal language, and everyone communicates with music. So next time another bum superintendent cuts the budget by 20 million dollars, don’t be the first one to target music and the arts. Think about the emphasis on all of the classes that aren’t going to affect your profession and your life, are they really that necessary? So when you’re riding home today listening to your favorite Christmas song, remember, nobody hates music.

Works Cited

Chanel 5 UK, Extraordinary People. "The Musical Genius, Derek Paravicini by Channel 5 UK." YouTube. YouTube, 2003. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.

Collins, Anita. "How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain - Anita Collins." TED-Ed. Ed. Alex Gendler. TEDed, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.

Derek Paravinci Quartet. Digital image. Paravinci Quartet. Paravinci Quartet, 2015. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.

"Derek Paravinci." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.

Ockelford, Adam. In the Key of Genius: The Extraordinary Life of Derek Paravicini. N.p.: Random House UK, 2010. Print.

"Quick Facts and Stats." Quick Facts and Stats. Music for All, 2010. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.

"Savant Syndrome." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 2015. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.

Spers, Valarie Honeycutt. "Fayette School Officials Address Questions about Proposed $20 Million Cut." Kentucky. Kentucky.com, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.

Stamp, Jack. "Jack Stamp - Why Music Matters." YouTube. YouTube, 2008. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.