What Music Means to Teens

(ARA) - Teenagers have always loved music, but a new study from the NAMM Foundation illustrates just how much and highlights teens' strong commitment to music and music making.

The study, by Patricia Shehan Campbell, PhD of the University of Washington, was based on responses by 1,155 teens who submitted student essays to Teen People magazine as part of an online contest. Throughout the submitted essays, students expressed their thoughts toward learning and playing music and revealed they value music making as a central aspect of their identities.

The findings include:

* Playing music provides a sense of belonging for teens.

* Making music provides the freedom for teens to be themselves; to be different; to be something they thought they could never be; to be comfortable and relaxed in school and elsewhere in their lives.

* Music helps adolescents release or control emotions and coping with difficult situations, such as peer pressure, substance abuse, pressures of study and family, the dynamics of friendships and social life, and the pain of loss or abuse.

* Teens believe developing musical skills and performance is important to paves the way to musical opportunities as skills develop.

* Teens long for more variety and options for making music in school, including the expansion to instruments and technology used in popular music.

* Adolescents are genuinely committed to their instruments and school ensembles, because they love to be involved in musical and social groups.

* Teens believe music is an integral part of American life, and that music reflects American culture and society.

* Teens feel playing music teaches self discipline, such as "there are payoffs if you practice and stick with something."

* Adolescents are of the opinion that playing music diminishes boundaries between people of different ethnic backgrounds, age-groups and social interests.

* Teens associate playing music with music literacy, listening skills, motor ability, eye-hand coordination and heightened intellectual capabilities.

"This study outlines what music and music making means to teens -- that it helps define them as they grow up, it gives them purpose and meaning, and contributes to their success in school and life," says Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry. "From what we have learned from this study, and others, it's clear music is essential to a complete education for all children, so why would anyone anywhere ever consider reducing support for music education and denying access and opportunity to our nation's children?"

"It will benefit us to listen to what teens tell us about music as a common need and a constant presence in their lives," says Campbell. "Music is their social glue -- a bridge for building acceptance and tolerance for people of different ages and cultural circumstances. Music provides opportunities in school for teens' engagement as performers, composers, and intelligent listeners, and these activities and qualities appear to be deeply meaningful to them. For teens who are desperately seeking relevance, musical study may give them the balanced experience they require."

Tips for Teens to Start Playing:

* Visit NAMM's Wanna Play? Web site at www.wannaplaymusic.com.

* Visit your local music retailer.

* Meet with your high school music teacher to find the right instrument for you.

For more information visit www.nammfoundation.org or e-mail info@nammfoundation.org.

Courtesy of ARAcontent