We believe that music is important for us to teach to our students for several reasons.
1. We are commanded to praise God in song and to encourage each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. (Psalm 47:6, Eph. 5:19)
2. Music helps make our students more intelligent, using different parts of their brains in different ways.
3. If done well in and in a safe environment, making music together as a group creates a sense of accomplishment, encourages teamwork, and can help establish a group espirit de corps.
4. Music is a fantastic aid in memorizing scripture. (Email us for several free scripture memory songs, word for word from the KJV.)
Me circa 1978 in my John Marshall High School Ram Band uniform
Before researchers and scientists coined the phrase "The Mozart Effect" (which proves some improvement in mental tasks after listening to Mozart or other classical music [and if listening helps, what must actually playing it do for the brain?]), I had noticed that when I signed up for band in the 6th grade, I suddenly had to think really hard. I had to figure out which note I was reading on the music (whether it was an "A" or a "D", or a "C#"), which keys to press on my flute to make the right notes come out, how to put the air in at the right time, how long I was supposed to hold that note out -- and I had to do all of that in a split-second, because by the time I'd figured it out, it was time for the next note to be played. That is good for the brain.
