For young children, music and art stimulate brain
and cognitive development. As youth develop, arts
participation further cultivates fundamental life skills
linked to social and academic success such as self-
expression, cooperative learning, discipline
and creative problem solving.

• The arts promote higher student attendance and school attachment, further positioning students to achieve in
  the long-term.
• The arts improve the atmosphere for learning and serve as a valuable mentorship tool. This stands
  particularly true for at-risk youth.  A recent study found that "schools with large populations of students in
  economic poverty—often places of frustration and failure for students and teachers alike—can be transformed
  into vibrant and successful centers of learning and community life when the arts are infused into their culture
  and curriculum."
  —Third Space: When Learning Matters, Arts Education Partnership, 2006
• Students with four years or more of arts and music study scored 29 points higher on reading, 22 points higher
  on math and 29 points higher on writing sections of the SAT College Board test.
  —College Board SAT, 2008 College-Bound Seniors: Total Group Profile Report
• Schools that have music programs have higher graduation rates than those without programs (90.2% as
  compared to 72.9%).
  —Harris Interactive survey of high school principals, Spring 2006

"...the arts are among society's most compelling and effective paths for
developing 21st Century Skills in our students...Students' capacity to create and
express themselves through the arts is one of the central qualities that make
them human, as well as a basis for success in the 21st century."
—The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, in association with Arts Education in
Maryland Schools Alliance (AEMS)

BSO Programs:

• BSO on the GO, the BSO at Strathmore partnership with the A. Mario Loiederman Middle and Wheaton High
  Schools, Midweek Education Concerts, Side-by-Sides, and Open Rehearsals are all ways in which the BSO
  brings making music, and the benefits so often associated, into the lives of youth throughout Maryland—be it
  in the classroom or in the concert hall. Combined, these programs provide over 55,000 regional youth with relevant and hands-on access to symphonic music each year.
• OrchKids stands at the cornerstone of the BSO's educational efforts. The most intensive and immersive of the Orchestra's youth and community outreach, OrchKids uses music to create social change for West Baltimore's at-risk children, strengthening whole community potential by joining parents, school, staff, volunteers and local partners in a positive, creative environment. It develops the whole individual and provides personalized music instruction, life skills training and mentorship to a growing number of inner city youth each year. In 2010-2011, OrchKids has grown to serve 220+ Pre-K through 3rd graders at Lockerman Bundy Elementary and launched its first expansion site at New Song Academy.
• OrchKids: Summary from the 2009-2010 school year assessment
  Overall, OrchKids showed promising growth in tonal and rhythmic audiation skills across the year, indicating
  that OrchKids are getting high-quality music exposure and instruction. Growth in developmental music
  aptitude means that these children have an increased potential to achieve in music in the future.
   
  

For more information please visit:

The National Association for Music Education
AEMS (Arts Education in Maryland Schools Alliance)
Arts Education Partnership