Acquiring musical knowledge gives children skills and experiences that benefit them in all aspects of life. However, school boards across the country have chosen to eliminate music education due to small budgets, a focus on core subjects, or a supposed lack of interest. Low-income schools, like Haven Elementary School in Savannah, Georgia, and other similar schools in California, have had to make the decision to dramatically reduce the time spent in art-related classes or eliminate courses completely. These students suffer from their lack of musical education; Although it may not be obvious to many students, teachers, and parents, studies have consistently proven that music education benefits students in many ways. Every aspect of life revolves around music; a person's past and present are tied to music, whether it's a beloved song or a treasured memory. Therefore, it should be learned and shared with others, not taken away. Music brings many benefits to children's lives, making budget cuts detrimental to their education. Although it seems like there are many opportunities for music in schools today, struggles continue behind the scenes. Many schools had to cut their music programs during the last recession. For example, a district in California that once had 124,000 music students dropped to 64,000 within a few years; this trend has unfortunately become common in order to save money (Benham). However, redistributing students formerly involved in arts education to other fields of study has actually proven more costly, with an average of $36,000 spent on hiring more students. teachers (Benham). Rebuilding these programs could end up costing schools more. There... middle of paper... lp, they grow to become the best they can be; don’t dissuade them from living a fulfilling life. Works Cited Benham, John. “Defending Music Programs with Economic Analysis.” Coalition for Music Education in British Columbia. and Web. February 14, 2014. Brown, Laura Lewis. “The Benefits of Music Education.” PBS Parents. and Web. February 14, 2014. Guth, Patricia. “The Importance of Music Education.” Plus 4 children. 2006. Internet. February 16, 2014. Hawkins, Tyleah. “Will less art and music in the classroom really help students advance academically? The Washington Post. December 28, 2012. the web. February 16, 2014. “Music is…” NAMM Foundation. Np, April 2, 2014. Oswald, Tim. “Senior Project Interview”. in-person interview. April 2, 2014. “Research dissertations: did you know?” » The NAMM Foundation |. and Web. April 4, 2014. “Why music education?” Kingsford Music. and Web. February 19 2014.