I support music education because it has played a vital role in my life. I had very difficult behavioral challenges as a child. I was defiant. I was expelled from three schools and was hospitalized three times because of mental, emotional and behavioral challenges. I was diagnosed with depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and a behavior disorder.

At the end of tenth grade, my defiance was at its peak and contributed to my third expulsion from school. Like a defiant child, I told my parents that I was not going back to school unless they found a way for me to play the drums more during the school day.

Weeks later, my mother discovered the Long Island High School for the Arts. I was accepted and life changed for me completely. My grades went up, my behavior improved, and I discovered my mission in life. This is how I reaped the benefits of music education. I remember my adolescence as a time of life-changing transformation. Today I am honored to mentor musically-minded teens on the faculty at the Long Island High School for the Arts.

Now I am a professional drummer and I love my job. I am happy, healthy, and I am in control of my own behavior. Instead of defiance, I've found positive ways to express myself. Like everyone, I suffer from periodic stress. When I sit behind my drums and play, I experience relief, emotional expression, and a wonderful connection with other people.

Music education is extremely beneficial for children and adults. If you type "benefits of music education" into a search engine you will discover tons of research done on the positive effects music education has on people. The best-known benefits of music education are improved SAT scores, literacy, and social skills.

One famous study was done by Profiles of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, 1998. The researchers who conducted this study concluded that students who participate in music score higher on the SAT. Another popular SAT study showed that students who performed music scored 57 points higher on the verbal and 41 points higher on the math, than those who were not musical. Students who take music appreciation classes score 63 points higher on the verbal and 44 points higher on the math, compared to students who don't participate in the arts.

Although much of the research focuses on children, there are many benefits of music education for adults. According to a study done by the American Music Conference in1998, retired adults who took keyboard classes reported decreased anxiety, decreased depression, and decreased loneliness when compared to a control group. I believe that music education is just as important for adults as it is for children.

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