Starting children as early as possible gives them an advantage in our very competitive society. One study shows that when a child learns music, a portion of their brain actually grows! The younger the musical training begins, the larger the area. (Nature, April 23, 1998). Here are some more interesting facts: *Rhythm Students learn Fractions better. (Neurological Research, March 15, 1999) *Music Students Score higher SATs. (Profiles of SAT and achievement Test Takers, The College Board, 2001. *Piano Raises Conceptual Math Scores. U. of California, Irvine found that after six months of piano lessons, preschoolders performed 34% higher on spatial-temporal testing than those who received no training and those who received computer training. (Neurological Research, February 28, 1997) *Band members get better math, science and language grades. (U of S study by Jeffrey Lynn Kluball, 200; ETSU study by Daryl Erick Trent.) Below are some excerpts found on the web (to find your own just do a search with words like: research music brain; studies music brain. Also be sure to check out the MENC website at www.menc.org.) The following is from a recent study: http://www.educationthroughmusic.com/brainarticles.htm. "Piano instruction is thought to enhance the brain's "hard-wiring" for spatial-temporal reasoning, or the ability to visualize and transform objects in space and time,....Music involves ratios, fractions, proportions and thinking in space and time." The following paragraphs are excerpts from an article published in Arts Education Policy in Review in 1998. The article is called "Spatial-temporal versus language-analytic reasoning: the role of music training", and can be found at: http://www.educationthroughmusic.com/musicbrain.htm The key component of spatial-temporal reasoning may be the "built-in" ability of the columnar networks to recognize the symmetry relations(18) among cortical firing patterns in a sequential manner. We refer to this sequential process as "pattern development."(19) Pattern development mental processes may last from tens of seconds to minutes; in comparison, pattern recognition processes, such as face recognition, might be accomplished in some fraction of a second. Music clearly involves the pattern development concept, as does spatial-temporal reasoning: the ability to create, maintain, transform, and relate complex mental images even in the absence of external sensory input or feedback.(20) Although cognitive abilities such as music and spatial -temporal reasoning depend on specific, localized regions of the cortex, all higher cognitive abilities draw upon a wide range of cortical areas.(21) Recent studies have demonstrated that sophisticated cognitive abilities are present in children as young as five months.(22) Similarly, musical abilities are evident in infants and neonates.(23) Music then may serve as a "pre-language"(24) (with centers distinct from language(25) centers in the cortex), available at an early age, which can access inherent cortical spatial-temporal firing patterns and enhance the cortex's ability to accomplish pattern development.In this article we suggest that certain math and science concepts known to be difficult to teach can be learned using ST reasoning methods, especially at an early age. We further suggest that music instruction can enhance the "hardware" in the brain for ST reasoning. Spatial-Temporal Reasoning We distinguish two types of reasoning: ST and language-analytic (LA). Both types of reasoning are crucial to how we think, reason, and create; in general, we go back and forth between the two. LA reasoning would, for example, be more involved when we solve. equations and obtain a quantitative result. As noted, ST would be involved, for example, in chess when we have to think ahead several moves. Some key reasoning features used in spatial-temporal reasoning are 1. the transforming and relating of mental images in space and time, 2. symmetries of the inherent cortical firing patterns used to compare physical and mental images, and 3. natural temporal sequences of those inherent cortical patterns. We have suggested that spatial-temporal reasoning is crucial in math,(6) and in particular, in learning proportional reasoning, which has been shown to be difficult to teach U.S. school children using traditional language-analytic methods.(7) The following is from The Neurobiology of Musical Learning and Memory Copyright © 1997 Norman M. Weinberger, Reproduced with permission. Dr. Norman M. Weinberger and the Regents of the University of California and the Regents of the University of California. All Rights Reserved. We start with a bit of background. First, memory is not a monolithic process; several types of memory are recognized, two of the main types are "declarative" and "procedural". (For a more detailed discussion of these, see "Music and Its Memories", MRN III, #2, Fall 1966). Briefly, "declarative" knowledge is generally mediated verbally and can be recalled in words as events, this is the common-sense use of "memory" and is the memory system engaged in most education, as when teachers tell students about facts and ideas. "Procedural" knowledge involves active "doing", such as practice on a musical instrument. In short, "declarative" is akin to learning about something while "procedural" is more like learning "how" to do something. Second, there is substantial evidence that musicians process music differently than non-musicians. In particular, the processing of melodic component of music in non-musicians seems to preferentially involve the right hemisphere; in contrast, musically trained individuals have a greater left hemispheric involvement. This finding has been obtained in various ways over the years -- determined behaviorally by presenting music either to the right or left ear(2) (the ears send auditory information mainly to the opposite hemispheres), PET scanning of the brain(3), recording brain waves(4), or the "DC" potential of the cortex(5). However, until the present study, it was not known whether such left hemisphere processing was present before musical training (i.e., predisposes one to become a musician) or whether it was acquired by learning...... As to the issue of innate or learned influence on left hemispheric dominance for processing melodic material, Altenmüeller and colleagues found more left hemispheric activation in the learning groups than in the untrained control group. Thus, it seems that analytic instruction in musical ideas preferentially engages the left hemisphere via learning. In short, the brain's way of handling at least some basic musical concepts and knowledge is not inborn but learned. This "cutting edge" research of Dr. Altenmüeller and his colleagues has provided not only some intriguing findings on fundamental questions of the neurobiology of learning and memory about music, but also should serve as an impetus for other workers to undertake studies in this area. It also underscores the long term benefits of using active instructional strategies, based on fundamental brain-behavior research, thus providing a novel synthesis of previously diverse fields on inquiry (For the complete article and other articles by Dr. Weinberger: http://www.musica.uci.edu/ |
| Music Lesson Benefits for Children |
| There is an abundance of research and so very many articles that are easily accessed on the internet in regard to this subject. The universities have been researching the benefits of music education for many years now. Their findings in the last 20 years can not be ignored. It is our belief, based on research and many years of music teaching, that learning to read music and play an instrument improves reading and math ability, physical coordination and eye functions. It improves on the thought-process, logical thinking skills, and organization and memory skills. If taught correctly it will also bolster self-esteem. In the case of group learning it improves social skills and the ability to achieve a goal as a group through individual efforts. Learning to play an instrument and read music can be achieved at any age and the benefits are enormous. Theresa Villec President Music Makers...for Life, Inc. |