Just a few reasons why music (and particularly group music) is so important in education

(Post made at 1220 UK time on 28 Dec 2017 in a personal capacity.  Please see here for important background and disclosure of interests). 

In today’s world in which very many children have a very short attention span and very often call out/take a sip from a water bottle, taking part in a group musical activity (such as a choir or a wind/brass/string/percussion band, or an orchestra, or even “just” a series of call and response musical games in a class setting) offers many life skills that will stand them in very good stead in their future working and family life.  Here are just a few that come to mind:

1. Concentration
2. Working as a team
3. Listening
4. Discipline (both self discipline and of the group)
5. Punctuality
6. Respect for others with different skills
7. An appreciation that to produce excellent results, hard work is (usually) required.

I hope both that the pendulum starts swinging the other way, and that more and more headteachers and politicians appreciate the importance of music.