Why Music?
Every once in a while I stumble upon a great article, video, blog post, or news story about the impact that studying music has on students' lives - not only in terms of academic success, but also in terms of mental, emotional, and social development. When I find something good, I like to share it here to help spread the message that studying music is an essential part of a well-rounded education.
How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain
"Playing music is the brain's equivalent of a full body workout."
Broader Minded
The National Association for Music Education has launched an awesome campaign in support of music education, called the "Broader Minded Campaign." They've done a great job making excellent cases for all the virtues of music - both "inside" and "outside" the bubbles...
This Is Your Brain. This Is Your Brain On Music.
Check out this cool story on NPR about music's effect on the human brain, through the lens of the Harmony Project - a nonprofit music education program.
"I feel like music really connects with education. It helps you concentrate more." -Student
What About Common Core?
The New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) has drawn some excellent parallels between the Common Core Standards and music standards and activities. You can see them on these two documents!
Students' active engagement in music classes leads to brain gains, study finds
"...playing an instrument improved neural processing. Kids who simply took classes that focused on music appreciation without practice time with instruments didn't show the same level of improvement. Committed class attendance and strong participation skills also led to greater brain gains for students, according to the study."
