The Ultimate Guide To The Benefits of Music Lessons
Forty-years ago, 54% of all American households had at least one family member 5-years or older taking music lessons and learning a musical instrument, compared to a mere 38% in the 1990s. And currently from 8th grade to 12th grade there is on average a mere 40% enrolled in public school performing arts and music programs. Beginning with the decline of the U.S. economy in the late 1980s concomitant with unemployment, the well-documented budget crisis has led to the decline in public school music programs. During the 1970s and 1980s, fewer discretionary funds were available to school districts due to steep increases in shared costs for special education. And the situation has been compounded by the elimination of the position of Fine Arts Coordinator in many school districts which means there is no one to keep music “on the table” when budget constraints are discussed at the administrative/district level.Read More