Music education is beneficial to children because it promotes stronger teamwork, increases self-esteem, and creates smarter students. The first section of this essay will show how musicians have higher self-esteem and self-confidence, which is helpful when in a society characterized by constant judgment. The next section will illustrate how musical education, or more specifically participation in an orchestra, band or choir, strengthens the ability to work easily in a group. The last section then shows how being a musician leads to excellence in academic and scholastic pursuits, which is not surprising considering the level of intelligence required to understand music and its terms. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First and foremost, participation in music creates high self-esteem. Dimitra Kokotsaki, secondary music teacher at Durham University's School of Education, and Susan Hallam, author of the 2001 novel The Power of Music, say: "Active engagement with music can... boost self-esteem in children of low economic status and increase social inclusion". The study of music does this so that children can express themselves through their instrument and relate to other musicians of their age. increasing the amount of music in the classroom within the curriculum… [has led to an] increase in social cohesion within the classroom, greater self-confidence, better social adjustment and more positive attitudes in children” ( Kokotsaki and Hallam ) When children are able to join their peers and adapt to social circumstances, they experience a feeling of belonging which leads to an increase in their pride participants in the study, helped individuals overcome challenges, built self-confidence, and increased determination to make greater efforts to meet group expectations regarding gaming standards" (Kokotsaki and Hallam). When there are expectations to be met, it pushes the entire orchestra, band, or other musical group to work to the best of their ability. This can provide a sense of value if great improvements are made to their playing abilities. High self-esteem through practicing a musical instrument is achieved very easily. “Learning to cooperate and exchange ideas to achieve a common goal was appreciated by the participants and increased self-esteem and motivation to work harder to maintain and improve the group's standards” (Kokotsaki and Hallam). When groups can reach consensus and meet each other's standards, self-esteem increases because others are confident that they are listening to each other. “These habits are unique to music students and can generalize to other academic fields and social/emotional aspects of life, helping to increase self-esteem and success” (“Music Matters”). Music students achieve this success because musical skills spill over into other areas of their lives, usually ensuring good grades that can make them feel accomplished and positive. “This preparation may be due to the discipline and focus music majors developed through intense practice and performance routines before college” (“Music Matters”). This intense practice and preparation for college-level material almost guarantees an art student acceptance into any university, while also giving him or her a great sense offulfillment and happiness. Music students harness a sense of positivity and courage. According to Sari N. Harrar, a Prevention writer specializing in health, science, and medicine, "...band and orchestra members were less likely than other kids to smoke, drink alcohol, or experiment with drugs." The reasons for smoking and drinking alcohol are usually due to insecurities and since music students are less likely to engage in such activities, this indicates a sense of security and self-esteem. Ken Petress, professor emeritus of communications at the University of Maine, states: "...being able to perform musically...offers the musician a dramatic boost in self-confidence, which carries over into all areas of life... .". This is true because when people master the skills needed to perform music, it helps them feel accomplished. “32% indicated that participation in the group increased their self-confidence” (Kokotsaki and Hallam). It's not a significant number, but it shows the effects quite well. The benefits of music on an individual's self-esteem are clear. Being a musician who performs regularly benefits a child's self-esteem. According to Will Dawson, guitar teacher and San Dimas Music and Arts employee, “…kids work hard and deal with criticism.” This helps their self-esteem because when children can face criticism, it shows that they have enough self-esteem to improve their playing. By being a musician, “…children rebuild [their] personality” (Dawson). This means that they discover who they are and, perhaps, are able to relate to their role models, making them feel a strong sense of belonging. It also seems that “…children become extroverted when they realize they have a talent” (Dawson). When someone, and not just a student, realizes they have a talent, they feel special, as if they are worth something. A musical education not only helps with self-esteem, but also helps when it comes to teamwork. Music education helps the ability to work efficiently in a team. “Particularly valued were learning to compromise, offering mutual support and encouragement, and learning to work effectively together as a team” (Kokotsaki and Hallam). Working in a team is appreciated when you are a musician due to the many group performances such as orchestra, bands, quartets and many other types. “…characteristics of musical groups may be particularly important, for example, the need to cooperate in order to produce a performance in real time, the interdependence that is part of that performance...” (Kokotsaki and Hallam). Teamwork in a band or orchestra is necessary for all musicians to be present to enhance the product: a performance. In cases where there is a group of people performing together, such as a band or orchestra, "...musicians must work as a team for [the] performance..." (Petress). With this knowledge, the musicians must work as a team for the performance in order to create the desired effects for the audience. The teamwork aspects improve when they participate in the music and the musicians take the group much more seriously than most students. Teamwork is easily mastered when a student has been involved in music education. “Not just musically, you are also involved socially… you were part of a group that 'made' music happen” (Kokotsaki and Hallam). Being part of a group, the effort needed to produce a wonderful performance is achieved when there is a sense of unity, where everyone feels comfortable with each other, which makes cooperation much easier. As students become betterteam partners when they have to play in an ensemble, most music directors, "...encourage their students to participate in a wide range of group musical compositions" (Kokotsaki and Hallam). This group performance helps in a variety of skills used later in life and with these skills, students may find it easier to perform tasks effectively with others. Carolyn Phillips, former executive director of the Norwalk Youth Symphony in Connecticut, states that "...all musicians must work together harmoniously toward one goal, performance, and must commit to learning the music, attending rehearsals, and practicing." By doing these things, musicians learn dedication to the team. In a musical group, everyone has to participate, which is what makes musicians the best in that area. Teamwork for musicians is an easy quality to master. “In music classrooms, students can also learn to communicate and cooperate better with each other” (Phillips). This is true because all students share music, which, when it is important to someone, is almost like sharing intimate secrets. “The orchestral environment is ideal for socializing and developing teamwork skills...” (“Orchestra Music Rocks”). These group skills will come in handy as an adult when you need to be able to carry out group tasks for a job or similar. Angela Kwan, a writer for Parents Magazine, says, "Group classes require peer interaction and communication." With mastery of these skills, it takes almost no effort for orchestra members to make friends, complete tasks, and end up with an outstanding concert or performance. Mastery of teamwork is important for many things in life, excluding being a member of an orchestra. Teamwork is stronger among students with a musical education. “Sitting in a whole, the chain is only as strong as its weakest link” (Dawson). He says this because when artists play in a group, each section depends on each other to learn their part - so mutual trust enters a musician's life from the first moment. He also says that playing together "creates a sense of comfort and family" (Dawson). When there is a situation where the musician is constantly working with a group of people to produce quality work, everyone ends up relating to each other. There is something more to the teamwork aspect when a person becomes a musician and it is this: “People relate to a team” (Dawson). People relate to a team, being musicians, because they are all passionate about what they have at hand: their music. Teamwork isn't the only thing that improves music education; musicians are also known to perform better academically. Music education also helps people excel in academics and other school-related activities. “Studies have shown that young children who take keyboard lessons have greater abstract reasoning skills than their peers, and these skills improve over time with prolonged training in music” (“Music Matters”). Abstract reasoning helps children learn and improve their skills in math and science. “Music training develops the region of the brain responsible for verbal memory – the recall and retention of spoken words –” (“Music Matters”). Verbal memory skills help these music students retain and be able to recall information quickly. “This preparation may be due to the discipline and concentration music majors develop through a practice.