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Floor Debate on House Concurrent Resolution 380 (H.CON.RES.380) May 4, 2004
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution ( H.Con .Res .380 ) recognizing the benefits and importance of school-based music education, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
Whereas school music programs enhance intellectual development and enrich the academic environment for students of all ages;
Whereas students who participate in school music programs are less likely to be involved with drugs, gangs, or alcohol and have better attendance in school;
Whereas the skills gained through sequential music instruction, including discipline and the ability to analyze, solve problems, communicate, and work cooperatively, are vital for success in the 21st century workplace;
Whereas the majority of students attending public schools in inner city neighborhoods have virtually no access to music education, which places them at a disadvantage compared to their peers in other communities;
Whereas local budget cuts are predicted to lead to significant curtailment of school music programs, thereby depriving millions of students of an education that includes music;
Whereas the arts are a core academic subject, and music is an essential element of the arts; and
Whereas every student in the United States should have an opportunity to reap the benefits of music education: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That--
(1) it is the sense of the Congress that music education grounded in rigorous instruction is an important component of a well-rounded academic curriculum and should be available to every student in every school; and
(2) the Congress recognizes NAMM, the International Music Products Association for its efforts to designate a Music in Our Schools Month in order to highlight the important role that school music programs play in the academic and social development of children.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter ) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan ) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter ).
GENERAL LEAVE
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.Con .Res .380 .
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Nevada?
There was no objection.
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 380 which highlights the benefits and importance of school-based music education. I would like to thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper ) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham ) for their leadership on this issue, and for introducing the resolution we are considering today.
Research has shown that students' involvement in their school music program is critical to a complete education. Musical study develops critical thinking and self-discipline skills, and improves a child's early cognitive development, basic math and reading abilities, self-esteem, SAT scores, ability to work in teams, spatial reasoning skills, and school attendance.
In an analysis of United States Department of Education data on more than 25,000 secondary school students, researchers found that students who report consistent high levels of involvement in instrumental music over the middle and high school years show ``significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12,'' regardless of a student's socioeconomic status.
A 1999 report by the Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse found that individuals who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest levels of current and lifelong use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs. So it is not surprising that children involved with music education are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college and are less likely to be involved with gangs and substance abuse.
In fact, many colleges and universities view participation in the arts and music as a valuable experience that broadens students' understanding and appreciation of the world around them.
For these reasons, I support H.Con .Res .380 , which recognizes the benefits and importance of school recognizing the benefits and importance of school-based music education. The resolution before the House today is simple and straightforward. It states that it is the sense of the Congress that music education grounded in rigorous instruction is an important component of a well-rounded academic curriculum and should be available to every student in every school.
It also recognizes the International Music Products Association for their efforts to designate a Music in Our Schools Month in order to highlight the important role that school music programs play in the academic and social development of children.
Music in Our Schools Month began as a single statewide celebration in 1973, and has run over the decades to encompass a day a week; and in 1985, March was designated as a month-long celebration of music in our schools.
I would like to thank two organizations that have played an important role in promoting the benefits of music education, the International Music Products Association, commonly called NAMM, in reference to the organization's popular NAMM trade shows. It is a not-for-profit association that unifies, leads, and strengthens the $16 billion global musical instruments and products industry. NAMM's activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages.
The National Association For Music Education, the world's largest arts education organization, addresses all aspects of music education. Nearly 90,000 members represent all levels of teaching from preschool to graduate school. Since 1907, the Association has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers.
Music education is important to our children. It can broaden and strengthen their education and improve their lives. I commend music educators and music organizations across the country for the key roles they play in helping our children succeed in school and throughout life.
As former President Gerald Ford said, ``Music education opens the doors that help children pass from school in the world around them, a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our Nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music.''
I urge my colleagues to support music education in our schools and H.Con .Res .380 , which highlights the benefits and importance of school-based music education.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I support this resolution which honors the importance of school-based music education. Specifically, this resolution recognizes that music education, grounded in rigorous instruction, is an important component of a well-rounded academic curriculum, and should be available to all students. It also recognizes that school music programs play an important role in the academic and social development of children. Any music educator will tell you that the school music program enriches the academic environment of our schools, and also enhances the intellectual development of our children. Music education is very important. I am pleased to support this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper ), and more specifically, from Music City, U.S.A.
Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I do have the privilege of representing Nashville, Tennessee, and outlying communities in the United States Congress, and we commonly go by the name Music City, U.S.A. We are very proud of that because we may have more creative individuals in our area than perhaps any other community of the world. Some say that everyone who lives there is either a musician or a songwriter, and some just haven't cut their demos yet.
We are very proud of that musical tradition and heritage, and we believe music should be included in the curriculum in our public schools. Music education is vitally important, not only for the reasons that my two colleagues have given, and I would also like to thank the original cosponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham ) for his strong support.
Music education I think is even more important than the reasons that have been given so far. When our Founders started talking about the values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, surely in the pursuit of happiness, they were talking about music. Music is literally the joy of life, the soundtrack of our lives. It accompanies our most important and most intimate moments. Whether it is a tune or a lyric that you carry in your heart forever, that is an important part of being fully human. It is also an important part of our educational system. A shocking number of our young people, some 30 million or more, are being deprived of this music education. They are being deprived of a well-rounded education.
Many Americans have seen the movie called ``Mr. Holland's Opus'' in which Richard Dreyfuss played a high school music teacher who did a superb job over decades teaching young people how to play an instrument in a band, how to appreciate music, and develop their minds and hearts to the fullest extent. Of course in that movie, Mr. Holland's job was terminated because the local school board did not think music was important. They considered it a luxury rather than a necessity.
But I think all thinking Americans realize music is important, it is not a luxury, it is a necessity, and it is very important for our young people to learn those skills. The music historian Jules Combarieu said, ``Music is the art of thinking with sounds.'' I hope that all of our young people will be able to learn to think with sounds and learns how to play a musical instrument.
The International Music Products Association deserves a lot of credit for helping focus our attention during this month on the needs of our students who need the ability to learn a musical instrument.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the many Members of this House who strongly support this resolution. I would like to thank the members of this committee who brought forward this measure with unusual speed using an unconventional mechanism, and we appreciate the recognition of music as a key part of our public education.
However, it is very important that we do not just pay lip service to this goal because there is no funding in this bill. This is a concurrent resolution. This just encourages, this just asks the many school districts around the country to include music as a priority. Let us make it real. Let us make sure that our public schools do have music education in the curriculum and that all of our children around this great Nation have the chance to learn the sound of music.
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, again, I want to reiterate our support and thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper ) for his leadership on this particular piece of legislation and also all of his work as far as encouraging music in our schools. We have stories abound about famous musicians who have stumbled onto music class somehow or other. One story I am familiar with is Boyd Timsley, the famous violinist from the Dave Matthews Band. He started off in a middle school strings class, and the rest is history. The next thing we know, we have one of the premier violinists in the history of the world. We want to encourage this, but I also agree with the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper ). We want to take this to the next level.
We cannot rely on organizations like Save Our Music to try to help encourage this. This is our government. We understand the importance of the arts. We understand the importance of the stamp of approval that the Federal Government has. I think we also want to start putting our money where our mouth is on this issue. I thank the gentleman from Nevada and the gentleman from Tennessee and all who were involved in this. We are going to support this resolution.
Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.Con .Res .380 , legislation recognizing the benefits and importance of school-based music education. I am proud to join my colleagues in passing this bipartisan proposal today in the House of Representatives.
As a teacher, I can testify to the value that music and art can have in a well-rounded academic program. There is a growing body of scientific research demonstrating that children who receive music instruction perform better on spatial-temporal reasoning tests and proportional math problems.
Opportunities in music and the arts have also enabled children with disabilities to participate more fully in school and community activities.
There is something special about music an the arts that speak to what is special and unique in the human spirit. Music and the arts can motivate at-risk students to stay in school and become active participants in the education process. They teach all students about beauty and abstract thinking.
According to the College Board, college-bound high school seniors in 1998 who received music instruction scored 53 points higher on the verbal portion of the Scholastic Aptitude Test and 39 points higher on the math portion of the test than college-bound high school seniors with no music or arts instruction.
Other data show that individuals who participate in band or orchestra reported the lowest levels of current and lifelong use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs. Comprehensive, sequential music instruction assists brain development and improves cognitive and communicative skills, self-discipline, and creativity.
Mr. Speaker, music education enhances intellectual development and enriches the academic environment for children of all ages. I am proud to join with my colleagues in passing this bipartisan resolution in recognition of these facts.
Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Terry ). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter ) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H.Con .Res .380 , as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of those present have voted in the affirmative.
(Roll Call vote was then taken)
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