There’s no doubt that music education is necessary in today’s academic curriculum, but why are the students who choose to pursue music one of the most ridiculed populations?
With popular television shows like Glee (find their anti-bullying mash-up video here), The Voice, and American Idol, it’s easy to assume that music’s Hollywood exposure among youth would increase popularity in local schools. However, most of the time, this is not the case.
The Facts About Music and Bullying
According to Dosomething.org, more than 3.2 million students are victims of bullying every year. Since about a quarter of students play a musical instrument or sing, that means 800,000 music students are bullied per year. No matter the reason why, it’s important to remember that this aggressive behavior doesn’t stem from the provocation of the victim. It comes from a bully’s insecurity, lack of confidence, poor self-esteem, and/or desire to manipulate.
Another problem with bullying lies within the lack of adult intervention. Most students believe that this necessary intervention is “infrequent and ineffective,” seeing as only “1 in 4 teachers see nothing wrong with bullying and will only intervene 4 percent of the time.”
To stop bullying, educators must not only continue encouraging children to keep playing musical instruments and singing but also step in when necessary. Michael A. Butera, executive director and CEO of the National Association for Music Education said educators, parents, and peers “can make a serious impact on a serious problem,” if they stand up to bullying.
Music Creates Peace
The most ironic part about music students being bullied is that studies show music actually decreases feelings of anger, depression, anxiety, and other negative emotions. Here are a few scientific examples:
2000: One study showed that “with music instruction in schools, teachers found that students were less aggressive.”
2001: “With music in schools, students connect to each other better” with “greater camaraderie, fewer fights, less racism, and reduced use of hurtful sarcasm,” according to Eric Jensen of Arts with the Brain in Mind.
2003: “71 percent of Americans surveyed in a Gallup Poll believe that teenagers who play an instrument are less likely to have disciplinary problems.”
2004: One study said, “Anthropological research indicates that emotional reaction to music is really a ‘universal’ phenomenon, typically involving feelings of happiness.”
2010: The Science and Psychology Behind Music and Emotion discussed “how music can be used as a means of achieving catharsis.”
2013: Results from a pilot study called The Effect of Background Music on Bullying showed “significantly reduced bullying occurrence… when music was played” and “calming background music may be used… to create a positive school atmosphere and reduce aggressive behavior.”
2014: The Relationship Between Music-Related Mood Regulation and Psychopatholody in Young People “has practical implication for the use of music as a self-therapeutic resource.”
2016: “You’re Not Alone”: Music as a Source of Consolation Among Adolescents and Young Adults said 69 percent of people use music as a source of consolation, especially those with higher levels of anxiousness and depression.
What We Can Do To Help
Music rooms and studios are a safe haven for students who find solace and peace between the pages of notes. They can also be a place for those who express violent emotions to positively channel their energy. Because music is not exclusive, judgmental, or critical, many students of all tempers can find comfort in playing an instrument or singing.
Remember that Leonard Bernstein said it best, “This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.”