My last blog
of last year had to do with music, and I will be leading this year off by
talking about music again. The next few
posts, we'll be discussing the influence of music on education.
Why should
you care about music? Because there is a
direct relation to higher test scores and exposure to good music, as well as personality traits, and lots of other good stuff!
I'm using
information from articles by Michael Ballam posted online 10/24/2002.
1. Developing "neural circuits" or
pathways of synaptic response which causes and retains learning
"Last October researchers
at the University of Konstanz in Germany reported that exposure to music
rewires neural circuits." A study
was done of nine string players, and the amount of the brain dedicated to the
thumb and fifth finger of the left hand was significantly larger than in non
players. How long the players practiced
each day did not affect the cortical map.
But the age at which they had been introduced to their muse did. "The younger the child when he or she took
up the instrument, the more cortex he or she devoted to playing it. Like other circuits formed early in life, the
ones for music endure."
Chugani played the guitar as a
child, then gave it up. As a father, he
started taking piano lessons with his young daughter. She learned easily but he couldn't get his
fingers to follow his wishes. "Yet, when Chugani recently picked up a guitar, he found to his delight that, 'The songs are
still there,' much like the muscle memory for riding a bicycle." The musical brain learning window is 3 to 19
years. Few concert-level performers
begin playing later than the age of 10.
It's much harder to learn an instrument as an adult.
Next time I
will talk about what we can do about developing the "musical muscle"
in our children's brain. And, don't
stress out if it is impossible for you to give your child an instrument and
music lessons, there are still things you can do!
Doreese
No comments:
Post a Comment