Making Music is What Fires the Brain
Making Music is What Fires the Brain
Listening to Music Just Isn’t Enough
Making Music Changes the Brain in Positive, Lasting Ways
These are recent headlines for articles by Melissa Healy which have
appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The Portland Oregonian and other
publication. These articles give a new emphasis to the importance of
early childhood music through active participation and continued growth
through music study and practice.
Following are some quotes from the above articles.
The Brain: Benefits come from active participation
Five months after we are conceived, music begins to capture our
attention and wire our brains for a lifetime of aural experience. At
the other end of life, musical memories can be imprinted on the
brain so indelibly that they can be retrieved, perfectly intact, from
a mind ravaged by Altzheimer’s disease.
In between, music can puncture stress, dissipate anger, and comfort
us in sadness.
But for all its beauty, power and capacity to move, researchers have
concluded that music is little more than ear candy for the brain if it
is consumed only passively. If you want to sharpen your senses,
boost your ability to focus and perhaps even improve your memory,
the latest word from science is you’ll need more than hype and a
loaded iPod. You gotta get in there and play ,or sing, bang or pluck!
Other Findings
Learning to make music engages and demands coordination among
many brain regions, including those that process sights, sounds,
emotions and memories, says Dr. Gottfried Schlaug, a Harvard
University neurologist.
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The bottom line is: what we are contributing to children and families
is immeasurable. The more we can communicate the benefits of early
training and experiential active involvement – the stronger our base in
our community becomes. Do your research and share the knowledge!
Jan Keyser Director Harmony Road Music Courses