Stop Defending Music Education By Peter Green

In “Stop Defending Music Education”, teacher and writer Peter Green plunges the reader into the incessant argument about the necessity of arts programs in elementary and secondary education. Greene addresses how schools are contesting the excision of music programs by promoting its effects on other areas of study. He explores the common practices of educators, in an effort to serve the standardized test community, decreeing that music education helps with test taking, and boosts scores. He argues that if the only obstruction to the amputation of music programs from school curriculum is the claim that such education is actually “test prep with a horn”, then educators leave its value solely built upon its service to testing. Greene imparts ample

He effectively utilizes logos and pathos interwreathed to captivate the readers and persuade them to agree with his argument that music is omnipresent. He contends that we as a society are constantly draped in music, varying from personal use, to advertisements, employing strong imagery for readers to solidify his argument. I feel that Greene does an outstanding job articulating his point that we as humanity refuse to live without music, so the refusal to support it in school curriculum is nonsensical.

Greene’s strongest arguments are delivered through swift and unyielding pathos. He appeals to pathos in exemplary ways, such as marking the indescribable feeling of listening to music as “profoundly human”, and going further to state that music “lets us touch and understand some of our most complicated feelings.” By using artful words in conjunction with emotions, Greene is convincing. He demonstrates his understanding that people naturally just want to feel like part of a whole, something that is universally

The way in which this article is organized is crucial to the overall effect he is aiming for over his audience. He utilizes his previous points to support the next component of his argument, remarking that music does so much for the listener, and it can do much more for the artist who creates it. He also gives personal account to solidify and exemplify the argument he is making. I feel that this a vital piece to the whole. He uses pathos to support his ethos. Readers are more inclined to assimilate the ideas and opinions in his piece because of his effective and demonstrative pathos. He intelligently depicts a fascination with the way instruments work, and does so with a child-like wonder. His words masterfully enrapture the reader, and he elevates his feelings about music with words apace with physical art appreciation. This cues the audience to feel sympathy towards his argument.

Greene tactfully contrasts sports and music in this article. He speaks on the competitiveness of all sports, and how both teams may try their hardest, but only one comes out on top. In music, he claims that everyone wins, and that it is the opposite of a zero sum game. To quell possible objections, he highlights that the growth of music competitions has led to many programs forgetting that music is about oneness. While I don’t feel that this completely