Interesting Facts about Music Education

* The publication "Academic Preparation for College: What Students Need to Know and Be Able To Do" states that preparation in the arts will be valuable to college entrants whatever their field of study.

* The very best engineers and technical designers in the Silicon Valley are, nearly without exception, practicing musicians. This was found in "The Paradox of the Silicon Savior" by Grant Venerable.

* Physician and biologist Lewis Thomas studied the undergraduate majors of medical school applicants. He found that 66 percent of music majors who applied to medical school were admitted, the highest percentage of any group. In comparison, there were 44 percent of biochemistry majors admitted.

* Students who study music and the arts score higher on the verbal and math portions of the SAT than students with no arts coursework or experience.

* A survey of band parents found that 96 percent of them agree that "many people don't know or understand the benefits of band." In fact, 95 percent of the non-band parents surveyed felt that band provides educational benefits not found in other classrooms and that 78 percent of the same group felt that band is more educational than extracurricular.