Music Lessons can Help Disadvantaged Children Improve their Brains

The positive impact music has on our brains is often understated. A recent study from Northwestern University has proven that music education is making a difference in children's memory, and ability to learn. When you play music you are communicating. You are essentially using the same part of your brain that you use when you have a conversation with another human being. Its simply a language. Music is a language. You can communicate a wide range of emotions, and express so many different ideas and feelings. Far more than what many people communicate with their mother tongue. Giving these children the opportunity to learn another language that can be spoken universally and has so many positive impacts on other aspects in life is incredible. No one ever regrets learning how to play music. The confidence alone is substantially significant. Standing up to play a trumpet solo in a school performance at a young age changes people. The confidence that you have something to say, and other people want to hear it is a very big deal. It is a big lesson on public speaking, while still an art class in a sense. Take a look at what they found in the study! Image courtesy of The Guardian A new study from Northwestern University offers hope to children who are growing up in disadvantaged neighborhoods and families. The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, reveals that music affects the brain in positive ways and may help close the income gap. This information relates to previous studies that found music can improve memory, learning and other aspects of the brain. Previous research found that underprivileged children often score lower on language development than children in higher income brackets. This is linked to overall achievement in school, and scientists have learned that disadvantaged children take longer to process words in addition to having smaller vocabularies. Now, music offers them a way to change their destiny and actually improve their brains. Researchers discovered that language and music are tied together, so it is not surprising that taking music lessons would help. They learned that music helped improve their language skills while changing their brains. However, one lesson is not enough to produce an impact, and students need at least two years of music education to produce results. It is this long-term commitment to music that matters in changing how students learn. It is easy to get discouraged sometimes while taking lessons, and parents often hear their children cry that they no longer want to continue. However, music teachers recommend having a goal such as playing a beautiful song on a piano to keep them motivated. Two years of lessons is the minimum that they need to complete to see positive brain transformations. The results of the study are promising, but families are facing a challenge. Many schools are closing down their music programs and not offering any type of alternatives. Nevertheless, families can still find ways to take lessons because there are programs [...]

The post Music Lessons can Help Disadvantaged Children Improve their Brains appeared first on Merriam Music - Toronto's Top Piano Store & Music School.