FACTS YOU CAN USE IN SUPPORT OF YOUR MUSIC PROGRAM

1. Middle school and high school students who participated in instrumental music scored significantly higher than their non-band peers in standardized tests. University studies conducted in Georgia and Texas found significant correlations between the number of years of instrumental music instruction and academic achievement in math, science and language arts.
2. Music majors are the most likely group of college grads to be admitted to medical school. Physician and biologist Lewis Thomas studied the undergraduate majors of medical school applicants. He found that 66 percent of music majors who applied to med school were admitted, the highest percentage of any group. For comparison, (44 percent) of biochemistry majors were admitted. Also, a study of 7,500 university students revealed that music majors scored the highest reading scores among all majors including English, biology, chemistry and math.
3. High school music students score higher on SATs in both verbal and math than their peers. In 2001, SAT takers with coursework/experience in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and 41 points higher on the math portion than students with no coursework/experience in the arts.
4. The College Entrance Examination Board found that students involved in public school music programs scored 107 points higher on the SAT's than students with no participation.
5. U.S. Department of Education data on more than 25,000 secondary school students 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."
6. According to a 2003 Gallup survey, 95 percent of Americans believe that music is a key component in a child's well-rounded education.
7. Young people who participate in the arts for at least three hours on three days each week through at least one full year are:
   • 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement
   • 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools
   • 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair
   • 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance
   • 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem
8. Young artists, as compared with their peers, are likely to:
   • Attend music, art, and dance classes nearly three times as frequently
   • Participate in youth groups nearly four times as frequently
   • Read for pleasure nearly twice as often
   • Perform community service more than four times as often