Saving the High School Band builds math and computer science skills

Halifax County saved itself from going a huge step backward this week by announcing the hiring of a new band director and that the high school band would continue.  Music is inherently connected with math and helps kids mathematically without their ever realizing it, and it's not just me saying it.

First, the disclaimer - yes, I was in high school band and some of my fondest school memories come from that experience; and yes, my father was a professional musician so I'm partial to music and its role in our society.

Consider these two quotes, though:

"Music is the pleasure the human mind experiences from counting without being aware that it is counting." - Gottfried Leibniz, German philosopher and mathemetician who developed infinitesimal calculus independently of Isaac Newton.  He became one of the most prolific inventors in the field of mechanical calculators.

“Mathematics and music, the most sharply contrasted fields of scientific activity which can be found, and yet related, supporting each other, as if to show forth the secret connection which ties together all the activities of our mind, and which leads us to surmise that the manifestations of the artist's genius are but the unconscious expressions of a mysteriously acting rationality.” –19^th century German physician and physicist Hermann von Helmholtz

And not to overdo it, but take this excerpt from Wikipedia:

Music theorists often use mathematics to understand music. Indeed, mathematics is "the basis of sound" and sound itself "in its musical aspects... exhibits a remarkable array of number properties", simply because nature itself "is amazingly mathematical."

To put it in more practical terms that most anyone can relate to, consider this first-hand experience: in the 90's a friend was a high-ranking executive for a national technology recruiting firm.  Because of the explosion of the internet, there were not enough trained programmers to fill positions available.

This executive told me that if they had an applicant who wasn't trained specifically in programming but was in high school band, that applicant would automatically get preference for placement.  When I surprisedly asked why, he said they had found that musicians inherently learn programming more easily than non-musicians and employers know they will have a shorter learning curve - thus reduced training costs.  Additionally, the self-discipline that it takes to practice and learn an instrument is critical to learning a programming language. On top of that, most high school band students were in marching band and had to learn intricate marching routines that they could perform without thinking about it while also playing music they had memorized.  Think of the amount of simultaneous memory recall required for that, combined with physical movement! And then you have the obvious relationship of being able to play a musical instrument and being able to use a computer keyboard without looking at your hands.

I didn't think about all of that when I was in band; I just had a good time with all my friends and enjoyed the camaraderie.  Little did I know I was helping my math and future computer skills at the time.

It's my hope that the new director will be able to build the band back up to where it was in the past - over 120 members strong with large rifle, flag, and majorette corps.  Yes we were band nerds, but we played a big part in football and basketball games and everybody loved it when we played memorable songs like The Horse. 

High school band is not just about a frivolous class that kids can take to get out of more serious classes; it's about building skills that can be carried over and translated into career success, learning to be a team player, and learning to contribute to the larger community by creating something the community is proud of. 

Thank you, Halifax County High School, for saving our band.  Congratulations and best of luck to the new Band Director, Stephen Harmon.  And most of all, congratulations and best wishes to our high school band members who have stuck with it; have fun, and know that your efforts are contributing to your future.