"Every student in the nation should have an education in the arts."

This is the opening statement of "The Value and Quality of Arts Education: A Statement of Principles," a document from the nation's 10 most important educational organizations, including the American Association of School Administrators, the National Education Association, the National Parent Teacher Association, and the National School Boards Association.

The basic statement is unlikely to be challenged by anyone involved in education. In the sometimes harsh reality of limited time and funding for instruction, however, the inclusion of the arts in every student's education can sometimes be relegated to a distant wish rather than an exciting reality, according to the National Association for Music Education (MENC).

Studies show that benefits of students being involved in music include: higher test scores, less use of substances (alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs), ability to work as part of a team, and better memory and study skills. To identify the importance of art and music in schools, MENC divided the benefits into four categories of success.

Success in society

• Perhaps the basic reason that every child must have an education in music is that music is a part of the fabric of society. The intrinsic value of music for each individual is widely recognized in the many cultures that make up American life - indeed, every human culture uses music to carry forward its ideas and ideals.

• Secondary students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs), according to the Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse Report.

• The arts provide one alternative for states looking to build the work force of tomorrow - a choice growing in popularity and esteem. The arts can provide effective learning opportunities to the general student population, yielding increased academic performance, reduced absenteeism and better skill building, according to the Impact of Arts Education on Workforce Preparation, May 2002.

Success in school

and learning

• Skills learned through the discipline of music transfer to study skills, communication skills and cognitive skills that are useful in every part of the curriculum.

• Schools that have music programs have significantly higher graduation rates than do those without programs (90.2 percent as compared to 72.9 percent).

• Music students have higher SAT scores: 57 points higher on the verbal portion and 43 points higher on the math portion, according to The College Board, Profile of College-Bound Seniors National Report for 2006.

Success in developing

intelligence

• Increases overall IQ scores. A study of 144 children who were provided with lessons in keyboard, voice, drama or no lessons at all, showed that the IQ of students in the keyboard or voice classes increased from their pre-lesson IQ score, more than the IQ of those students taking drama or no lessons, said Psychological Science, a journal of the American Psychological Society.

• Better verbal memory. The longer the music training, the better the verbal memory. Students with musical training recalled more words in a verbal memory test than did untrained students.

• A 2004 Stanford University study showed that mastering a musical instrument improves the way the human brain processes parts of spoken language.

Success in life

• Each of us wants our children - and the children of all those around us - to achieve success in school, success in employment and success in the social structures through which we move. Participation in music brings countless benefits to each individual throughout life. The benefits may be psychological or spiritual, and they may be physical as well.

Parents, community members, sponsors and donors should be encouraged to know that the students of Incline Village will have the benefits and abilities that come from a music education. CYMBAL Foundation and its supporters are finding exciting and new ways to fund and provide music in all of the schools for grades K-12. The community doesn't want arts and music instruction to "just become a wish."

It is expensive to fund music programs and more donations and support are needed. The money CYMBAL has raised over the years has been used to purchase sheet music, instruments, microphones, sound, lighting, risers and other capital equipment. These monies have paid for musical theater production scores and royalties, instrument repair, competition fees and outreach programs.

CYMBAL and Washoe County School District united together three years ago to pay for the IMS and IHS music teachers, John Mueller and Joe Savage, to go every week throughout the school year to the elementary school and provide musical training to fifth graders and develop both a concert band and an orchestra. Students currently entering the sixth grade are musically further advanced and performing higher level pieces than ever before. It is evident in their receiving "excellence" ratings at band competitions.

Approximately 45 percent of the children in the Incline schools K-12 are all touched by music programs, such as band, orchestra, choir and musical theater, that are supported by CYMBAL.

Yes, "every student in the nation should have an education in the arts."

Until the time comes that our school district and politicians realize these important programs value and start completely funding them, the residents of our community will need to continue vigilant service and support.

If you are interested in supporting CYMBAL and Incline's music programs, please contact Kathy Eastman at Kathy@logistics-plus.com.

Kathy Eastman is the vice-president of the CYMBAL Foundation and proud mother of a son in his sixth year of music in Incline Village thanks to CYMBAL.