Due to the declining economy, school boards across the country decided to cut funding for music education programs. It is necessary to maintain music education in the American school system because it promotes the development of skills that children will use for the rest of their lives. Musical development can begin before birth. Hearing is the first sense a baby acquires and it is acquired in utero (McCutcheon 1). The first sounds a baby hears are the mother's voice and her heartbeat (McCutcheon 1). These sounds are familiar to babies after birth, so recordings of heartbeats are used to calm them (McCutcheon 1). After birth, a baby's sense of hearing becomes more acute and they absorb many different sounds and learn more (McCutcheon 1). What sets music apart from most other sounds a baby hears is rhythm (McCutcheon 1). The difference between beat and rhythm is that the lyrics of a song are sung in rhythm and the beat is the constant pulse (McCutcheon 1). Jim McCutcheon says, “When my wife was carrying our second son, we attended a nephew's band concert – and my wife felt a distinct reaction to the band's drum section – every time they played, the baby started kicking! The steady rhythm of music, or rhythm, can be learned from a young age and may be one of the first things a child learns (McCutcheon 1). “I saw moms and dads holding babies and rocking them to the beat while listening to music. This simple activity teaches the baby a relationship between music and movement,” explains Jim McCutcheon. Children imitate anything that makes noise, such as clapping their hands or tapping their feet (McCutcheon 1). Paul Borgese says, "We should encourage...... middle of paper ......ble by every student (National Association for Music Education 4). Works CitedMcCutcheon, Jim. “The rhythm continues.” Family Life Magazine. January 1998: 3. September 19, 2011. McCutcheon, Jim. “Music for the littlest ears. » American children's magazine. July 2003: 6. September 19, 2011. Scott, Zakiya. “Music Brings Awareness to Durham Students for Black History Month at Eastway Elementary School.” Reese News. February 28, 2011: 3-4. The school music program: a new vision. ND. National Association for Music Education. September 13, 2011. http://www.menc.org/resources/view/the-school-music-program-a-new-vision Ciares, Jovanka. "PaulBorgese.com | The benefits of music on child development." *****Welcome to PaulBorgese.com*****. Internet. December 16. 2011. .