Music Class is for EVERYONE!

November 29th, 1975 President Gerald Ford passed a law (IDEA) ensuring the rights for students with special needs to receive equal access to education. This law being passed was exhilarating allowing those students a place they deserve in the classroom. But past academic classes the access to the art programs as well was an amazing opportunity. Music classes in general provide an outlet for student expression, especially in the general music classroom (elementary school). Accommodations and modifications can be so easily made to ensure each student is able to participate, there have been many videos surfacing on YouTube of the success teachers are having in real time in the classroom. Students are able to take part in a multi-sensory experience, as many systems in the body work together to create music. Bottom line is no matter who walks in the music classroom will have a purpose.

Going into teaching soon a fear from my inexperience was working with students with special needs. But after I completed my field experience in an elementary general music classroom I learned how beneficial and simple this process could be for my students and myself. I got to see and befriend many

children who loved music class because they got to express themselves

Female teacher playing drum for 
elementary school kids. The children
are in a circle playing on paint buckets.

in a more unique setting. I remember one child who was nonverbal and always had a hard time with interaction in the classroom. He would stand in the corner before class started and sway back and forth. The teacher could tell that dancing was something he enjoyed so she made sure to include an educational dance song once every lesson. This child would completely come out of their shell and the other students in the classroom would interact more. It was a great experience for those students and you could tell he got some much joy out of that. Now there is more of a push due to the many benefits of having special education students in the general classroom and to be with more of their peers. The arts is a fundamental part of this process. Like I talked about in my last post regarding the reduction of music class time it is important to consider an aspect like this as well. Music education is so important, all of our kiddos need that experience.