“When words fail, music speaks.” This quote, paraphrased from Hans Christian Anderson, expresses the reality that many of us experience when we listen to music. Words may feel insufficient to describe the way we feel, but when expressed through music, our emotions can seem remarkably clear.

In these uncertain times, I’m sure that many of you have taken refuge in the solace of music, but music’s ability to express emotion has greater implications than just its therapeutic benefit. By studying music, students also have the unique opportunity to habitually examine their emotions and to develop greater their emotional intelligence as they learn to express emotion through music.

Every instrument has milestones that you have to hurdle to reach the next level as a musician. Whether that’s getting over the break, mastering shifting, or playing bar chords that actually make a sound, we all experience a moment when what was easy and fun suddenly becomes anything but. These hurdles can leave you with all the pain of bruised shins and skinned knees, but they are a valuable opportunity to learn the lesson of perseverance.

In a culture that relegates music to a “secondary” status among academic subjects, many perceive music as little more than a hobby. The “practical” knowledge and learned in other subjects diminishes music’s place in the schools, crowding it out of class time and students’ schedules. But what if I told you that the lessons learned in the music room are as deeply practical as those of other subjects—perhaps even more so?