Becky maintains that teaching music in schools is beneficial to students. While I agree with the arguements made in favor of music (it increases self esteem, encourages teamwork, increases understanding of math, etc), I haven't seen a convincing argument for requiring music education. I definitely think students should have the option to learn music, but I don't see why they should have to, anymore than they should have to play on a sport time, learn to paint, or write a novel. These are all very beneficial things, that can increase self-esteem, teach valuable lessons, and be very intellectually stimulating. But, why should these things be required classes in school? If something is valuable, does that alone mean everyone should learn it?
I think the question of "What makes something worth learning" needs to be addressed first. In this post, I have argued that music education doesn't seem to be something that ought to be required in schools. But then again, why are students required to take Math, Science, English, and Social Studies? Why were these subjects deemed the most worthy of learning?
