We play slide shows like this before our concerts.

1. 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. Profiles of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, compiled by the Music Educators National Conference 2002

2. 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." -U.S. Department of Education NELLS88 Databa se

3. Arts involvement teaches children many skills necessary to succeed in life including problem solving and decision making, building self-confidence and self-discipline, the ability to imagine what might be and to accept responsibility for it, teamwork, the development of informed perception, and articulating a vision. -Compiled from various research documents and reports

4. Secondary students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs). -Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Houston Chronicle, January 11, 1998

5. A research team reports that early music training dramatically enhances children's abstract reasoning skills. These findings indicate that music uniquely enhances higher brain functions required for mathematics, chess, science and engineering. -From Neurological Research, Feb 28, 1997; Frances Rauscher, Ph.D., Gordon Shaw, Ph.D, University of California, Irvine

6. A two-year Swiss study involving 1,200 children in 50 schools showed that students involved in the music program were better at languages, learned to read more easily, showed an improved social climate, showed more enjoyment in school, and had a lower level of stress than non-music students. -Weber, E.W., Spychiger, M. & Patry, J.L. 1993

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

9. “ The things I learned from my experience in music in school are: discipline, perseverance, dependability, composure, courage and pride. Not a bad preparation for the workforce!” - Gregory Anrig – President, Educational Testing Service

10. “ Some people think music education is a privilege, but I think it’s essential to being human.” -Jewel – Singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist

11. In a 2000 survey, 73 % of respondents agree that teens who play an instrument are less likely to have discipline problems. - Americans Love Making Music – And Value Music Education More Highly Than Ever, American Music Conference, 2000

12. Students who can perform complex rhythms can also make faster and more precise corrections in many academic and physical situations, according to the Center for Timing, Coordination, and Motor Skills

13. A ten-year study indicates that students who study music achieve higher test scores, regardless of socioeconomic background. - Dr. James Catterall, UCLA

14. Students who are rhythmically skilled also tend to better plan, sequence, and coordinate actions in their daily lives. - “Cassily Column,” TCAMS Professional Resource Center, 2000

15. In a 1999 Columbia University study, students in the arts are found to be more cooperative with teachers and peers, more self-confident, and better able to express their ideas. These benefits exist across socioeconomic levels.

16. College admissions officers continue to cite participation in music as an important factor in making admissions decisions. They claim that music participation demonstrates time management, creativity, expression, and open-mindedness

17. Students with band and orchestra experience attend college at a rate twice the national average. - Bands Across the USA

18. The College Board, in a publication about college admissions, states, “Preparation in the arts will be valuable to college entrants whatever their intended field of study.”

19. The arts are one of the six subject areas in which the College Board recognizes as essential in order to thrive in college.

20. Lewis Thomas, physician and biologist, found that music majors comprise the highest percentage of accepted medical students at 66%.

21. Arts Education aids students in skills needed in the workplace: flexibility, the ability to solve problems and communicate; the ability to learn new skills, to be creative and innovative, and to strive for excellence.