NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

May 6, 1999

Parent Line: I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing...

Kim Bushaw, Parent Line Program Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

Before everyone locks arms and breaks out in song, let's consider the real merit of music in our society.

When we enrolled our son in middle school six years ago, we were strongly encouraged to get him in band or orchestra or choir. Many orchestra students had signed up during fifth grade, but the group was still welcoming new recruits. The band director had visited our son's grade school in the spring of fifth grade and had already discussed a number of instruments with him. Choirs made their visits. The stage was set for music, and there was an obvious push to have every child in something music oriented.

When I asked if it was required that all kids have some musical training, the person in charge indicated that they had noticed at the middle school that kids who are involved in music tended to stay out of trouble. I thought that was a bit of an odd comment since I held the traditional belief that students involved in anything adult sanctioned and extracurricular were bound to stay out of trouble.

But a study by Kevin Thompson, North Dakota State University sociology professor, confirms what that middle school person had to say. The study involved more than 7,700 North Dakota students in grades 6-12 and looked at four areas of participation in activities.

The four areas were music, sports, school clubs and organizations, and community clubs and organizations. Thompson wanted to know if each of the four activities would deter students from using marijuana, binge drinking, having contact with the police and causing vandalism—the four actions considered delinquency for the purpose of the study. Music activities were found to reduce the chances a student would participate in any of the four deviant behaviors.

Sports participation was found to decrease the chances a student would use marijuana or have police contact but did not affect vandalism and binge drinking. Apparently athletes know that marijuana use is detrimental to their physical health but haven't gotten the message that alcohol is too.

Participating in school organizations reduced the odds of student binge drinking and marijuana use but did not have an effect on the two delinquency measures of police contact and vandalism.

Community group participation did not affect any of the delinquency or substance abuse measures. Thompson is quick to point out that many other benefits may be found in membership with these groups that reduce other risk behaviors; however, that was not the point of this study.

When students were enrolled in music and other activities, the combination reduced the risk of delinquency and substance abuse further.

As with many studies, we are left with more questions we are curious to ask. Why does music participation deter misbehavior better than other activities? What special properties does it have? Thompson speculates that "music, more than other forms of participation, instills a stronger sense of discipline, patience and self-control in youth."

Other programs may want to consider how to add components that will instill these values. Parents and school personnel will want to think about ways to encourage students to pick up an instrument, practice their scales and blow their own horn, especially in combination with another type of activity, to reduce the use of substances and delinquency, not to mention all of the inexpensive entertainment this will bring right to your home.

Those flower children on the hillside may have had a point. Perhaps teaching the world to sing in perfect harmony should be a goal to pursue.

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More than 100 Parent Line columns are in the book "Please Tell Me This is Just a Stage." To order, send $9.95 per copy to Distribution Center, Box 5655, NDSU, Fargo, ND 58105-5655.

Kim Bushaw answers the Parent Line, an information and listening support line for North Dakota parents from the NDSU Extension Service. Call the Parent Line at 1-800-258-0808 (231-7923 in Fargo) with questions about this column and other parenting topics. The Parent Line is answered 7:30 a.m. - 9:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Friday.

Source: Kim Bushaw (701) 231-1070

Editor: Becky Koch (701) 231-7875