The sequence of musical notes forming a melodic tune is what we call music. It is something that is a part of our daily lives, between car rides, cleaning, singing and dancing. It surrounds us and helps the artist and listener express emotions that cannot be conveyed otherwise.

1. Since music is all around us, how come many of us never actually learned to play different instruments in school?

              2. Sure, we had the occasional recorder lesson, but it was difficult to grow with an instrument that was not meant to cover more than the basic studies of music. It is a loss of time for children to continually learn the same lesson repeatedly rather than truly tap into their potential musical talents

3. I will show you just a few reasons why students should learn a musical instrument all through school, providing insight on the increased coordination and memory, improvement in math, reading and comprehensions skills, and how it nurtures self-expression.

A.  Musical Instruments surround us, we can make beats from the tapping of our foot or the clapping of our hands. But did you know that there were other benefits proven to be associated with having children learn instruments from a young age? Something that many of us may not have expected is that learning music is like learning a second language. Playing a musical instrument has shown to use almost every part of our brain, it’s no wonder it comes with the following additional benefits.

              1. Learning musical instruments have shown an increase in coordination and memory.

a. “Playing an instrument requires the brain to work at advanced speeds. Reading music is converted in the brain to the physical motion of playing the instrument. Those who play instruments have improved hand eye coordination over those who do not.” (Peterson Family Foundation). You use a multitude of muscles at the same time, large and small to compute the function of playing an instrument.

b. Playing an instrument is a total work out for the brain, as mentioned previously practically every area of the brain is used at once when playing an instrument. Something that no other activity, including other arts, is able to accomplish. In a study conducted by neuroscientist, it has shown that those who play a musical instrument are able to store, create, and obtain information more rapidly and efficiently than those who do not. “Studies have found that musicians appear to use their highly connected brains to give each memory multiple tags, such as conceptual, audio, emotional and contextual tag, similar to a good search engine.” (Collins, 2014)

B. Learning a musical instrument has shown to help students improve within math, reading and comprehension

a. As a cause of the beats in music, children can pick up learning basic fractions, recognize patterns easily and problem solve.

b. When translating music from a sheet of paper to your instrument, one must be able to see a couple of dots in between 5 lines (notes on a staff) and within seconds your brain translates them into notes, then signaling to your hands to play those notes for a specific amount of time. As musicians further their studies they begin to analyze the way the music should be played at the moment, whether the direction is soft, loud, increasing in momentum, its speed. There are many key figures to playing music              which in turn develops the left side of the brain (the part used for reasoning and understanding language).

C. Learning a musical instrument can also further a child’s self-expression

a. Learning an instrument allows a child to express themselves creatively in ways they cannot convey solely by using words. A child can learn to tap into their emotions and release any feelings they do not understand through this outlet.

b. Music is art and whether a child wants to convey the sadness they feel for their favorite show ending, or the joy and happiness they partake in when something exciting happens, they can find an outlet always and for the rest of their lives with music.

A. The best way to ensure the children of the future learn a musical instrument is by signing this online petition I have created.

              1. This petition I have created on Change.Org will have all the benefits of a child learning a musical instrument. Everything I spoke about and more is included in this petition. Once I have received 1,000 signatures, I will email it to the chair- Andy Tuck and vice chair- Marva Johnson, of the Florida department of education. They would then be able to present the benefits of having children take up a musical instrument, and will pass a vote delegating whether children will be required to learn an instrument in the state of Florida

A. We want to see a better and brighter future for our children, and learning a musical instrument proves to have plentiful advantages

              1. Children will surpass the level of coordination and memory they would have had if they had not learned an instrument. They will be able to function at a higher capacity and will have an easier time later in life when establishing this early

              2. Children will be able to round themselves out more as individuals and increase their knowledge and brain power. They will have more ease when learning mathematics, reading and language, and will struggle less in school.

              3. Children will be able to express themselves. Children may not always have the entire vocabulary they need at an early age to convey their emotions. Playing a musical instrument will further their emotional intelligence.

A. In conclusion, having a child learn a musical instrument has insurmountable benefits

B. We as a country should find ways to benefit our future generation, and one of these ways is by implementing the required education of music theory and playing different musical instruments 

C. I hope that our future generations are able to grow from our collection of knowledge, and now that we know how important it is to the development of a child to learn a musical instrument, I hope you will advocate and sign the petition for a required musical education!