[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 60 (Tuesday, May 4, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H2509-H2511]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING BENEFITS AND IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL-BASED MUSIC EDUCATION

  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.

[[Page H2510]]

  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

[[Page H2511]]

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.

                              {time}  1515

  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.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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