Healthy brain development, social and emotional learning, and increased academic success are just some of the numerous benefits inherent in robust and continuous music education.

“Music is more than just entertainment. It has the power to transform society because it unites, it heals, because it allows us a way to be connected to beauty. That is essential in the world that we live in.” – Gustavo Dudamel

“In music you have to listen to each other. You have to create harmony with other instruments. You have to listen differently. And when you apply that in society you are a different person. You are a different human.” – Gustavo Dudamel

The benefits of giving musical opportunities to young people recognized by Gustavo Dudamel are on fully display in our music classrooms across the district. From elementary school to the members of our advanced ensemble, students are listening to each other, learning to trust each other, and finding a home with their band family.

So when studies show the social and emotional benefits of participating in music in school, we believe them. When neuroscience confirms that music training induces macro and micro structural brain changes in children, we know that brain development is critical and profound. And when statistics confirm that significant numbers of students in MBUSD’s music program experience greater success in high school, we know that matters not because of the validity of the data, but because all the data combined merely tells us what we know to be true:

That music is essential to who we are and individuals, and to our humanity.

But the thing your student might like most about our program? On top of all the other benefits, it’s just a lot of fun 🙂

Music is the Key. . .