Listening or playing music benefits creativity, health
Playing and listening to music is a way to escape from the world. It helps students forget their problems and be in their own little universe. In addition, it opens a whole new world up to those who need a new beginning or need a new hobby.
Most students have been in a music program since elementary school and have a strong connection to their teachers and other students. The music community maintains their relationship through music and lets people who would not normally speak to each other talk about something they are both a part of.
Loading ...“I have a very close core group of friends, some of which were in my high school choir, but most I have met through my choirs in college and my teacher programs,” choir teacher Katelyn Larson said.
Many music groups in high school do not really change over the years. The students spend time with each other going on field trips to perform at elementary schools, colleges and sometimes in a different state like New York.
Many students in high school keep in touch with their music friends long after high school since they grew so close and spent more time with them than their non-musician friends. Music is like its own language so the friends made in high school will always share that time together.
“Music makes me feel free and open to express myself,” sophomore Morgan Tope-Yates said.
Music is a less intrusive way for students to express themselves. It is a mixture of all sorts of things like tone, words, and pitch. Through it, one can tell almost immediately how a person is feeling depending on how dark or bright the music is. Students often listen to music that they can relate to and then get ideas on how they can make their own music to express what they are feeling.
“Band makes me feel good about myself and a part of something meaningful,” said sophomore Keller Swanson.
Being in a band has improved my listening skills and has taught me how all parts of a whole can’t function without every part performing its task
— Benjamin Johnson
Creating music is beneficial for a student’s health. It can help ease the pain or at least the perceived intensity of pain. It makes them feel relaxed which decreases stress and anxiety. Music often creates a bright and energetic environment which leaves the student in a good mood for the rest of the day. A meta-analysis in 2009 showed that the quality of sleep was improved with music-related relaxation.
“Being in a band has improved my listening skills and has taught me how all parts of a whole can’t function without every part performing its task,” junior Benjamin Johnson said.
A study by the College Entrance Examination Board in 2009 showed that students who took half a year or less of music averaged 91 points lower on the SATs than students who took four or more involved in art and music classes. It teaches the student to focus on the task at hand and be attentive to the small things. It also helps the student memorize certain things quicker and more easily.
Music is something that is very important to many people. They have a connection with it for the rest of their lives and share memories with their old friends. “Music makes me feel many different things just because of the lyrics and tone,” Tope-Yates said. “It communicates a message that words simply cannot.”
Emma Polucha is a senior and a print Editor-in-Chief. She is president of Belle Chanter choir and played the cello and the piano for 5 years. She is also...
Arieanna Junghans • Jan 1, 2018 at 2:02 pm
I really like the way this was written. I think the quotes the author chose really supported the idea of the story.
Joshua Framke • Dec 19, 2017 at 4:45 pm
Very well written, loads of great information that shows thorough research and amazing quotes (especially Benny J’s). However I felt like the lead felt like an intro to an essay because of the wording. Otherwise very well done.
Daniel Schlenker • Dec 19, 2017 at 8:11 am
This article does a very good job portraying the huge amount of time and dedication that many students put into their music along with how large of a part of their life it is as far as what they enjoy doing. The poll supports this very well and the article is very well written.
Rose Junko • Dec 18, 2017 at 10:34 pm
Overall, this article is one of my favorites this issue. I really enjoyed the quotes, though some of your wording seemed a little repetitive.
Tess Schoenborn • Dec 18, 2017 at 9:26 pm
I believe this is very true! It’s really awesome that the pony express has so much for students to relate to. I clicked on this specifically because I love music and it’s really important to me and that could be for any article about any topic with any reader.
Isaac Gunderson • Dec 18, 2017 at 9:25 pm
The title drew me in because I listen to a lot of music and I was very satisfied with all of the health benefits presented in this article Very well researched!
Rosalie Braun • Dec 18, 2017 at 6:05 pm
This was overall a really great article! The quotes were strong and I can tell you did quite a bit of research. There were a few over-repeated words but other than that I loved it!
Cassie Ales • Dec 17, 2017 at 10:24 pm
I love the title! Very creative an accurate! As a music student, I would say this article efficiently represents the importance of music and the affect it has on our lives. I think the poll in the alternative copy on whether students prefer music in the background when they study or not is a nice touch. I am glad Emma included quotes from students who are not necessarily involved in music, they just like to listen to it. It shows that music is important to those who perform as well as to those who listen.
Sophia Jensen • Dec 17, 2017 at 9:21 pm
This is well constructed and plentiful of reasons why music has many benefits for students. I agree with the idea of music decreasing stress and anxiety for students since a majority of students can feel stress. Well written!
Hannah Boardman • Dec 17, 2017 at 11:53 am
I thought the article was very interesting, especially how you tied in playing and listening to music since they’re often different genres. I enjoyed hearing how music affected different students and what their experiences were. Your quotes were good, therefore showing that the interview questions were good. My only comment would be to comment on which types of music influence different students, but overall it was a fantastic article.