WESTVIEW HIGH SCHOOL Band and Performance Ensemble |
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As the Beaverton School District, like schools throughout the state, struggles with shrinking budget resources, parents and students alike worry about how budget cutbacks might affect their educational experience in the next few years. Often, it seems, the cutbacks hit first and hardest at some of the educational "frills" like music programs. But the following article written by the band director at Spokane's Whitworth University should give pause to any who question the valuable role of music education in our schools. Read the facts below, and share this insight with your friends, neighbors, school administrators and board members.
HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC AND COLLEGE SUCCESS: A CASE STUDY FROM WHITWORTH, July 2008, by Richard Strauch, Associate Professor of Music and Director of Whitworth Wind Symphony Sad story, part one: At the end of rehearsal one day, your star clarinetist, violist, or tenor asks to speak with you. “I am going to have to drop out of the ensemble next semester," the student says. "I’ve been talking with my parents and counselor, and I really need to focus on my academics and add some other things to my high school resume so that I can get into my first-choice college.” What can you say to that? Sadly, the conventional wisdom suggests that, as important as we say music and the arts are in education, involvement in them really has very little importance when it comes to getting into and succeeding in college. However, my own sixteen years of teaching in higher education suggests otherwise. In fact, admissions and academic data from my institution, Whitworth University, paint a much different picture. When shared with students, parents, and high school guidance counselors, it is information that certainly gives pause. Because Whitworth is highly selective (less that 50% of applicants are accepted) and highly ranked (top ten of U. S. News “Best Master’s-level Colleges and Universities in the West”), it is the sort of institution that attracts high-achievers who are concerned with presenting the most attractive college application possible. Therefore, it presents a strong framework in which to examine the impact of high school music participation on the admissions process. As an institution that values the arts, it is also worth considering how continued involvement in music in college can enhance the student’s collegiate academic experience. By the Numbers: Band Students and the Average College Freshman Last fall, I asked Gary Whisenand, Whitworth’s Director of Institutional Research, to gather some information regarding that year’s freshman class.
Music and College Admissions I sat down with Fred Pfursich, who is Whitworth’s Dean of Enrollment Services and oversees admissions. I shared this information with him, and asked for his thoughts. Fred made four interesting observations:
Music and College Success Okay, you have kept your student in their ensemble through high school and they made it into college. Sad story, part two: After eight years of band, orchestra, or choir, this student decides to hang it up because they have heard that college is so difficult that they will simply not have time to continue in music. Here is some information “from the inside” that you can share with your college-bound students. While this is based on the nature of my institution and may not hold true across the board, chances are it is true for the majority of colleges and universities. MYTH #1: If I play in college band, I will have a hard time keeping my grades up. At the end of the 2007-08 academic year, Whisenand compared the average college GPAs of the members of Whitworth’s large auditioned music ensembles with the overall average GPA of Whitworth students. (These are the ensembles that require the greatest time commitment.) Here is what he reported:
MYTH #2: I don’t know if I’ll have time (or room in my load) to do music. The time commitment involved in many college ensembles is often considerably less than high school music ensembles, depending on the group. At Whitworth, the top ensembles all rehearse three times a week (the choir meets all five days), for a total of 4.5 hours, plus weekly or bi-weekly sectionals. Also, many institutions, including Whitworth, grant a one-credit overload waiver for music ensembles. MYTH #3: If I want to be involved in music in college, I need to be a music major or minor. While most of the students involved in the top auditioned ensembles at Whitworth are music majors or minors, many are neither, but want to continue to be involved in music and to be challenged to play or sing as well as they can. At any given time, up to 50% of the members of the wind symphony are not music majors. (This is probably more the norm at institutions like mine than in large music schools where the top ensembles are comprised primarily of music majors, but not always.) Furthermore, many institutions offer other ensembles that require less of a commitment for the student who simply wants to play for fun and enjoyment. For example, our second band meets once a week and can be joined without an entrance audition. Because each institution is different, students should be encouraged to contact college ensemble directors to find out about opportunities and requirements before jumping to any conclusion. My guess is though, most collegiate ensemble directors are exactly like me: we will do our very best to find a way for a student who wants to keep playing or singing to have that opportunity. Furthermore, the evidence suggests that students who continue their involvement in music in college (whether music majors or not) academically out-perform their peers. Colleges and universities are communities, and like any community, a college comprises a diverse group of students and faculty with a wide variety of interests and skills. Admissions officers at competitive institutions base their decisions not only on a candidate’s academic achievement and likelihood for academic success in college, but also on the unique blends of backgrounds and talents that will enhance the community. One of the most important reasons that musically accomplished students are so highly valued at institutions like Whitworth is for the richness they bring to the campus and the surrounding community. Whitworth’s president, Bill Robinson, once said that music, theatre, and athletics are the university’s “front door” to Spokane and the region. The effort and encouragement that music teachers - and parents - put into helping students become the best musicians that they can be in high school will be priceless to them in college and beyond. Richard Strauch is professor of music at Whitworth University in Spokane, where he conducts the Whitworth Wind Symphony and teaches music history and applied low brass. In addition, he is second trombone in the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. Let your voice be heard in support of school music programs by contacting Advocates For Music Education in Beaverton. |
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