The Music Connection: A Review

Hello reader! I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I hate being bored! I've always found that when I am not engaged in a conversation or in a lesson, I have a tendency to either zone out or become a slight distraction. I can remember a time when my favorite classes used simple songs to teach a specific topic - I still remember my 50 states rap vividly. Although there are many people who believe cutting music from our schools won't inhibit learning, I discovered an article by Andrea H. Antepenko, that expresses her first hand experience with music in the classroom.

Throughout the passage, Ms. Antepenko chronicles her experiences in the classroom and how incorporating music promoted engagement with academic learning. She speaks of how she is able to create an atmosphere of learning by playing instruments and different music throughout her classes. She ends this article by explaining the ability of enhancing learning through music and offering tips on how to incorporate music in the classroom.

Although she was a first year teacher at the time this article was written, Ms. Antepenko provided a wealth of information from the perspective of a non-arts teacher. Because of her assumed background in music, Ms. Antepenko was able to provide a unique and meaningful experience for her students. This article caught my eye because it is a testament to my own grade school experience. The classes I remember, to this day, are the classes that incorporated music into the lesson. I strongly believe that the connections I've made in my learning can be traced back to some form of music. I highly recommend reading this article to gain some insight on the importance of music in the classroom.

The Music Connection

Antepenko, Andrea H. “The Music Connection.” ASCD: Professional Learning, Educational Leadership, Sept. 2008, www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept08/vol66/num01/The-Music-Connection.aspx.