A Topic Revisited

Kids and music. Just how often can I write about it? About once a week, I'll bet! Today I'm going to report on a recent Time magazine online article, "Want a Less Fussy, Easier-to-Soothe, Kinder Child? Make Music!" by Maia Szalavitz. The title just about says it all! But, still, it's worth reading the whole article!

Three new studies suggest that teaching even the youngest children to make music with others can not only reduce distress and make infants smile and laugh more but also enhance brain development and boost empathy.

The article ends with this:

Whether it’s drama or music, however, research is demonstrating just how valuable arts education is to children--unfortunately at a time when it is becoming less and less accessible due to financial pressures on parents and school budget cuts. Fortunately, getting down on the floor with your toddler and banging out some rhythms on pots and pans doesn’t take any money--and it might actually spare you more headaches than it creates.

Something to think about when considering education in Windham! (I'm not sure if any of this is addressed in the survey that the Windham School District is currently asking citizens to to complete, but, if you want to have a say in your children's education, be sure to check it out here.)

The idea that music is important to a child's development is not new. Nurturing Your Child with Music: How Sound Awareness Creates Happy, Smart, and Confident Children by John M. Ortiz [780 ORT] has been on our shelves for a dozen years! More recent books on the physiological and psychological aspects of music include This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin [781.11 LEV] and Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver W. Sacks [781.11 SAC].

Music is something I will undoubtedly be talking about again!