As educators, it is our responsibility to nurture in our students the knowledge and abilities that they need in order to be balanced and productive members of society. While mastery of the basic subjects such as reading and writing, math and the sciences are of course essential to obtaining this goal, many so-called extra-curricular subjects — especially music — are also vital in this effort. For its many tangible benefits, music should be maintained and promoted as an essential component of elementary and secondary education.

For centuries music had been considered an irreplaceable part of a proper education. Early universities taught it as one of the quadrivium or four essential pillars of education. Albert Einstein himself was a skilled musician and frequently attributed his discoveries in physics to the musical training he received.[1] Modern educational politics, however, have often marginalized music education to a luxurious and expensive extra program that is often cut when negative budget issues are met. Education administrators too often mistakenly believe that music education is a misguided effort to channel students into a career in music or, at best, an expensive play time that does little for their educational development. » Read more: The Importance of Music Education in the Public Schools