How important is music? When they are asked this question, students and parents usually answer that music is nice, but not very important. It is often considered only as entertainment (娱乐），but not the first choice for education. This opinion (观点）is shortsighted (目光短浅的）. In fact, music education is necessary and important for all students.
Music tells us who we are. Music reflects (反映）the creators’ thinking and what they think to be valuable, as well as the social environment it came from. For example, just as Mozart music represents a lifestyle, rock music represents a lifestyle, too. The jazz influence that George Gershwin and other musicians introduced into their music is clearly American because it came form American musical traditions.
Music provides a kind of ability to know the world in a different way. Science explains how the sun rises and sets. Music explores (探索）the emotive (情感的）meanings. We need every possible way to discover and respond (回应）to our world because no one way can get it all.
Music is a form of thought, as powerful as science. It is a way we human beings “talk” to each other. Through the language we express our feelings, our discoveries, our ideas, our imagination and our hopes so that they can be shared with others. When we do not let our children receive good music education, we take away from them the meanings that music expresses. Science does not tell us what it means to be human. Music does.
So music education is much more necessary than people realize.
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