Why Studying Music Helps Your Kids - Connections Between Musical Training and Language-based Learning

In an article by Perri Klass, MD in the New York Times, September 11, 2012,  the author states, "When children learn to play a musical instrument, they strengthen a range of auditory skills.  Recent studies suggest that these benefits extend all through life, at least for those who continue to be engaged with music.

But a study published last month is the first to show that music lessons in childhood may lead to changes in the brain that persist years after the lessons stop."

When researchers at Northwestern University recorded the electrical brain waves of college students in response to complex sounds, the students who had musical training in childhood had more robust responses.  Their brains were better able to pick out essential elements like pitch.  This was true even if the lessons had ended years ago.

Studies about the connections between musical training in childhood and reading point to the effects of active engagement and discipline.  According to Professor Nina Kraus of Northwestern University, "To learn to read, you need to have good working memory, the ability to disambiguate speech sounds, make sound-to-meaning connections.  Each one of these things really seems to be strengthened with active engagement in playing a musical instrument."

According to Alexandra Parbery-Clark, doctoral candidate in Dr. Kraus' s lab, "If you get a kid who is maybe 3 or 4 years old and you're teaching them to attend, they're not only working on their auditory skills but also working on their attention skills and their memory skills - which can translate into scholastic learning."

Here's the best part - if your child can select the instrument with the sound they love the most, it is a pleasurable experience.  Of course, having an excellent, engaged private teacher helps develop the trust and enjoyable learning environment most conducive to achieving a good result.

Deborah Molodofsky, Director of Amadeus Conservatory of Music in Chappaqua and Bedford, has observed that music students who learn the discipline of practicing their instruments, concentrating at their lessons, setting goals for improvement, and achieving  success through public recitals that give pleasure to the listeners, seem to be the same students who get terrific grades in school, yet still seem to be able to manage their time to have fun.  The kids who attend our Summer Musical Theater Day Camp seem to especially enjoy singing, playing instruments, acting, painting sets, and being immersed in something that is just plain fun for them.   For more information about Amadeus, call 914 238 0388 or visit www.amadeusconservatory.com.