1. Developing Life and Career Skills Through Music Integrating 21st Century Skills

2. Life and Career Skills -Flexibility & Adaptability -Initiative & Self-Direction -Social & Cross-Cultural Skills -Productivity & Accountability -Leadership & Responsibility "My child has no interest in becoming a professional musician. Why should they study music?"

3. -Studying music isn't just about learning the mechanics of singing or playing an instrument. -Success in a musical setting is intricately linked to a student's abilities to perform in each of those areas described within the 21st Century Skills model. "My child has no interest in becoming a professional musician. Why should they study music?"

4. FLEXIBILITY & ADAPTATION -making music requires students to constantly use their senses (hearing, sight, touch, and kinesthetic awareness) to interpret what is going on around them and react based on what they observe (e.g. intonation, tempo, dynamics, articulations, etc.) -Music students must learn to positively deal with praise, setbacks, and criticisms "My child has no interest in becoming a professional musician. Why should they study music?"

5. INITIATIVE & SELF-DIRECTION -Musical activities require students to work in a fast-paced, self-directed environment. -Self-motivated individual practice is essential to succeeding in performance-based music classes (choir, band, orchestra, etc.) -Music students are taught how to motivate their own musical learning "My child has no interest in becoming a professional musician. Why should they study music?"

6. SOCIAL & CROSS CULTURAL SKILLS -Music is a social activity -Students learn about and experience other cultures throughout their course of study in music -Musicology - the study of history and culture through the lens of music "My child has no interest in becoming a professional musician. Why should they study music?" -Students play music from a variety of cultures

7. PRODUCTIVITY & ACCOUNTABILITY - Music is usually performance oriented - most music classes result in a final product (a concert) -In preparing for a performance, students learn to set goals, prioritize, multi-task, collaborate, manage their time effectively, and be held accountable for their work "My child has no interest in becoming a professional musician. Why should they study music?"

8. LEADERSHIP & RESPONSIBILITY - Students learn how to individually contribute to a larger group community (the ensemble) -Opportunities for leadership roles within the ensemble (section leaders, etc.) "My child has no interest in becoming a professional musician. Why should they study music?"

9. IT'S FUN!! "My child has no interest in becoming a professional musician. Why should they study music?"