Everyone knows about the recent decline of our nation's economy. From a failing job market, to rising food and gas prices, the U.S. economy has not been good for those who live here. However, some of the worst damage to the economy has been done to our country's schools. Due to government-imposed budget cuts, school districts and municipalities across the nation have been forced to make drastic changes. Schools around the world have been forced to cut teachers, cut library benefits, close schools, make students pay for transportation, and even eliminate lessons from school curricula. Maybe the most important classes, which we may not even know have such a huge impact on us, will be cut. These lessons are music lessons. Classes include choir, band and orchestra. Removing music lessons from school curricula is a poor decision because these lessons are essential to a student's academic growth and development. It may not seem to some people that classes like band, choir, and orchestra are important, but these classes are not. just for fun. “Kids who receive musical training often improve academically across the board,” notes psychologist Martin Gardiner of Brown University. “They [music students] just get ahead in math. This cannot be explained by social effects or attention alone. There is something specific about the music,” says Gardiner (Begley 3). These lessons can help students improve in school, including in some math lessons. In 1997, Gordan Shaw, of the University of California and Irvine and Frances Rauscher, of the University of Wisconsin, conducted a study. It included a test administered to 83 students. Twenty-six participating students were given instruction on how to play the piano, as well as instruction on how to play...... middle of paper ......+. inspire. Network. February 24, 2011. Mahale, Sneha. "Music is the best medicine." Hindistan Times July 7, 2008. inspire. Network. February 24, 2011..“Music for your brain”. School News – 5/6 Edition, 13 September 2010: 3+. inspire Web February 21, 2011.http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=min&AN=54339107&site=src-live>.Quill, Katie. "Enlighten the brain." Times, The (UK) 20 August 2005: 17. inspire. Network. February 24, 2011. .Slater, Lauren. "Children and music." Parenting September 2003: 168+. Network. February 24. 2011. .