A new Harris Interactive executive omnibus poll of senior business leaders shows a positive association between music education with career advancement. Overall, nearly three-quarters of executives (73 percent) were involved in some type of music program while in school.
The October 2007 Harris Poll that I referenced in my previous post showed music education at an early age greatly increases the likelihood that a child will grow up to seek higher education and ultimately earn a higher salary. This new poll, looking specifically at executives in top companies across the nation, confirms the October poll findings demonstrating music education provides skills and attributes that can lead to success in careers later in life.
Seventy-two percent of executives with music education feel music education equips people to be better team players in their careers and 71 percent feel music education provides you with a disciplined approach to problem solving.
Dr. Elliot W. Eisner of Stanford University reports the arts have cognitive effects, aiding in the preparation for entry into the workforce of the 21st century. Specifically, he cites the following key competencies as being developed through arts education: perception of relationships, skills in finding multiple solutions to problems; attention to nuance; adaptability; decision making skills; and visualization of goals and outcomes.
As stated in my “Do We Really Need a Reason” post, and reinforced by reader’s comments, I celebrate music making for very different reasons than the findings stated in these two Harris Polls. However, in this era of arts program budget cuts it’s good to have more advocacy tools, such these studies, to fight for what we know is important to educating the whole child… arts education. And, if we need it, thanks to this most recent study, we have “yet another reason.”
