THE POWER OF MUSIC

Intended audience: A school board made up of leadership and directors of a high school.
who I’m trying to persuade to establish music as a subject.
…And the award for the most viewed song on YouTube goes to… BTS with 1.3 billion views for
their latest single Dynamite. BTS, (Bangtan Sonyeondan) is a Korean boy band and musical
sensation that has introduced the world to the abyss of K-pop and has made over 89 million fans of K-
pop, K-dramas and Korean culture all over the world.
 
Good afternoon respected board members, thank you for allowing me to come and present before you
all. My name is Krishna Ghelani. I’m here to convince you to teach highlight the importance of
music as a subject at this school, Redhill High. 
 
Now, I know most of you must be questioning my introduction as it has no relation to my purpose
here. BTS strongly reminds me of what Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said, and I quote, the
quote- “Music is the universal language of mankind.” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Despite the
language barrier, BTS they have managed to win the hearts of millions of fans across the globe -
young and old and from all different backgrounds, through music. 
Music is the one thing that connects all of us despite such factors as race, religion, culture to name but
a few. and several other factors. 
 
Music has played a substantial role during major world events like wars. Music played an influential
role in Americans’ lives during World War II. It was used as a medical therapy, played to soldiers on
the front lines, as well as broadcasted on the radio to spread the good feelings that music brought to
all who listened. The role that music played in World War II laid the foundations for the development
of the music therapy field. Music had a growing impact and this impact has caused music therapy as a
medical technique to grow dramatically since its establishment in World War II. 
 
For school-going teenagers, Schools have many teenagers as their students, and the one thing that
helps many if not all students during the tough time of adolescence is music. Teens go through
massive hormonal change are a bundle of hormones and as a result experience a rollercoaster of
emotions. Music helps teens safely explore ideas and emotions and express themselves without
words. Studies have found that listening to music can help calm your nervous system and lower
cortisol levels, both of which can help reduce stress. The same goes for making music; research shows
that creating music can help release emotion, decrease anxiety and improve overall mental health.
 
Music also helps teens connect to social groups and gain a feeling of belonging such as fandoms.
Music education improves and develops language skills in children. Students are introduced to a large
amount of vocabulary in a short amount of time. Music also provides exposure to other languages,
which creates a foundation for the student’s ability to understand and communicate in a different
language.
 
Music is also a vehicle for excellent memory skills. Have you ever listened to a song for the first time
in a long time and find that you still remember the lyrics? Furthermore, Music education requires
teamwork and collaboration. While playing instruments together, students acquire listening and
teamwork skills. Through this, students learn to value the ideas and opinions of others and how to
efficiently combine those thoughts for the task at hand. Music education fosters greater work ethic
and discipline in children. Students of music learn from an early age that hard work, determination,
and a positive mindset is all you need to succeed.

Did you know that Schools in our region with music programs have an estimated 90.2% graduation
rate and 93.9% attendance rate compared to schools without music education, that have an average
72.9% graduation and 84.9% attendance?. It falls on us to provide this opportunity to our school so
that we, too, can boast an impressive graduation rate like other schools in our district.

 So, my respected board members, now that I have outlined the many, many benefits of teaching
music in schools, it is my hope that you will seriously consider introducing the amazing journey of
music to our school and the wonderful students who make up this fine institution. which side of the
coin do you choose?