<P> Bobbett (1990) suggests that most public school music programs have not changed since their inception at the turn of the last century . "...the educational climate is not conducive to their continuance as historically conceived and the social needs and habits of people require a completely different kind of band program ." A 2011 study conducted by Kathleen M. Kerstetter for the Journal of Band Research found that increased non-musical graduation requirements, block scheduling, increased number of non-traditional programs such as magnet schools, and the testing emphases created by the No Child Left Behind Act are only some of the concerns facing music educators . Both teachers and students are under increased time restrictions" </P> <P> Dr. Patricia Powers states, "It is not unusual to see program cuts in the area of music and arts when economic issues surface . It is indeed unfortunate to lose support in this area especially since music and the art programs contribute to society in many positive ways ." Comprehensive music education programs average $187 per pupil, according to a 2011 study funded by the national Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation The Texas Commission on Drugs and Alcohol Abuse Report noted that students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances including alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs . </P> <P> Studies have shown that music education can be used to enhance cognitive achievement in students . In the United States an estimated 30% of students struggle with reading, while 17% are reported as having a specific learning disability linked to reading . Using intensive music curriculum as an intervention paired alongside regular classroom activities, research shows that students involved with the music curriculum show increases in reading comprehension, word knowledge, vocabulary recall, and word decoding . When a student is singing a melody with text, they are using multiple areas of their brain to multitask . Music effects language development, increases IQ, spatial - temporal skills, and improves test scores . Music education has also shown to improve the skills of dyslexic children in similar areas as mentioned earlier by focusing on visual auditory and fine motor skills as strategies to combat their disability . Since research in this area is sparse, we cannot convincingly conclude these findings to be true, however the results from research done do show a positive impact on both students with learning difficulties and those who are not diagnosed . Further research will need to be done, but the positive engaging way of bringing music into the classroom cannot be forgotten, and the students generally show a positive reaction to this form of instruction . </P> <P> Music education has also been noted to have the ability to increase someones overall IQ, especially in children during peak development years . Spacial ability, verbal memory, reading and mathematic ability are seen to be increased alongside music education (primarily through the learning of an instrument). Researchers also note that a correlation between general attendance and IQ increases is evident, and due to students involvement in music education, general attendance rates increase along with their IQ . </P>

When did music start being taught in schools