“Music influenced me in positive ways from a young age. It taught me to be willing to practice and learn more than asked, which brought about self-discipline and dedication,” said junior and 12-year pianist Elizabeth Minassian. “Music also showed me to try even though the outcome might not be entirely perfect; that built trust and confidence in my abilities. Lastly, music influenced me to interpret situations in a more positive light.”Studies show great benefits come from playing music from a young age.

According to the New York Times, music, whether from a guitar, violin or piano, develops skills that are imperative for success in academics. Still, some schools cut their music programs, saying that the programs cost too much. In fact, funds have been cut in more than 80 percent of U.S. school districts since 2008, according to U.S. News. Clark is one of the many schools that has chosen to not include music in its curriculum.

Research from schools that implement music in their academic programs shows that music improves tests scores. Clark Magnet Music Club students are attempting to push this idea, recruiting students to begin a musical movement at Clark.  The club holds meetings every Wednesday where the beginners are trained by students who have been playing music prior to the club.

Recently, there has been a surge in participants due to the notorious Clarkiaoke. “At first I was shy about singing but my friend Anna encouraged me to sing a duet with her,” said junior Rania Mamo. “We ended up singing ‘Fergalicious’ by Fergie, which was such an empowering song, and I could hear the crowd cheering me on.”  

For some, music is a getaway, which was the case for Music Club President Eunice Ramillo.  “I’m not sure of the benefits music has on the brain, but from what I have experienced, music is a getaway from the stress of the day,” Ramilo said. “Some exercise and some freak out. Instead, I put time aside to sit and play my instruments.”

Clark’s Music Club advisor Narine Tatevosian said that music has a positive influence on people.  “Aside from actual statistics and proof that there is about music affecting people positively academically, the biggest thing that I find music does from a young age is it forms discipline. Music from a young age has developed discipline.”

Karine Varuzhanyan, piano teacher and manager of records at Clark, said that she agrees with Tatevosian’s assessment. “It’s like going to two schools in a day,” Varuzhanyan said. “You have to work twice as hard as everyone else finding ways to manage your time and excel in both subjects.  This helped me manage my job and work at home easily.”

“Practice makes perfect which requires discipline, but when you perfect your song it is actually pretty enjoyable and the fact that you are able to practice to the point where you can actually play it and enjoy it, that takes discipline and hard work and a little more dedication than simply because you don’t have a driving factor the way grades do for school,” said Narine Tatevosian. According to Tatevosian, playing music from a young age trains the brain and gives you discipline and makes your brain work far beyond that of a non-musical person, helping you in school and how you would regularly process things.

In order to excel in musical pieces, musician must also have a lot of patience. Varuzhanyan mentioned how she learned to be patient and has become a very patient person because of the training that music requires. “You have to keep on playing a song to perfect it and in the beginning you are impatient but you eventually develop patience and perseverance,” Varuzhanyan said.
“If you’re still in high school and you’re playing music on the side, to me, that is an added factor,” Tatevosian said. “It proves that you have something more than other people because it takes something, whether its dedication, devotion, work ethic or just because you want to. Whatever it might be, your doing something more than what other people are doing.”