Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Love Letter to Music Education

Over the course of this podcast we've talked about why and how we fight for music education. Music participation facilitates cognitive, social, and emotional growth, and should be held in high regard. But as a musician, sometimes I want to argue that we should teach music because I love it. Because it's magical. I want to talk about music as if we did not have to advocate for it. So in this episode we're going to talk about music in terms of joy. I asked musicians and music education advocates to share a joyful musical memory.

What does a music therapist have to say about music education and mental health? In this episode we will approach the music and emotions argument from a new angle. We will unpack what music therapy is, and dive deeper into the emotional benefits of music with Maria Hricko Fay. Maria is the government relations specialist for the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), a board-certified music therapist, a licensed social worker, and a former music educator.

What can music education do for our social and emotional growth? Over the next two episodes we'll be answering that question. First, let's talk to Scott Edgar about music education and social emotional learning (SEL). Dr. Edgar is the Music Chair, and an Associate Professor of Music at Lake Forest College. Prior to his work in higher education Dr. Edgar was a high school band director for seven years. In March of 2021 he was named Director of Practice and Research for the Center for Arts Education and Social Emotional Learning.

Are music students better at math? Do they get better standardized test scores? What is music education doing to the brain? Neuroscientist Indre Viskontas joins us to discuss the cognitive benefits of musical training. Dr. Viskontas is also an opera singer turned stage director, an author, a podcaster, an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of San Francisco, the principal investigator for The Creative Brain Lab, and the communications core lead for the Sound Health Network (SHN). The SHN is a collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts, the University of California San Francisco, The NIH, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which works to explore the intersections of music and health.

Why do we need to advocate for music education anyway? In this episode we hear from Jazzmone Sutton, State Advocacy Manager for the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), about her experience fighting for music education, and her perspective on music education advocacy. Before joining NAfME in 2021 Jazzmone was an elementary music educator in North Carolina. She relies on that experience to provide advocacy strategies for NAfME members across the United States.