Artists in <strong>the</strong> making. For all of life’s special moments, Dead River Company is committed to keeping you warm and com<strong>for</strong>table with products and services you can depend on. As a local company, we are also here to support <strong>the</strong> communities we serve and are proud to sponsor <strong>Snow</strong> <strong>Pond</strong> <strong>Center</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Arts</strong> and <strong>the</strong> New England Music Camp. www.deadriver.com 4
Learning an Instrument Aids in Brain Development Mia Chung As a 7-year-old pianist, I experienced <strong>the</strong> joy of learning Beethoven’s “Für Elise.” My eyes deciphered <strong>the</strong> notes on <strong>the</strong> page, my ears guided me to depress <strong>the</strong> right keys, and my fingers translated <strong>the</strong> symbols on <strong>the</strong> page with <strong>the</strong> right speed, rhythm and expression. The benefit in my mind was <strong>the</strong> pleasure of making music. What I didn’t know was that I was wiring my brain <strong>for</strong> classroom learning. Yet in <strong>the</strong> years since music fed my young mind and laid <strong>the</strong> groundwork <strong>for</strong> fur<strong>the</strong>r intellectual growth, <strong>the</strong> country has steadily moved away from music instruction. Too many schoolchildren are learning without this effective discipline. Instead, <strong>the</strong> noisy national debates bounce from one “fix” to <strong>the</strong> next, whe<strong>the</strong>r No Child Left Behind or Common Core. Left on <strong>the</strong> cutting-room floor are music lessons — yes, music — that new research shows is essential <strong>for</strong> brain development. Playing a musical instrument develops an important neurocognitive skill known as executive function. Strong EF is critical <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> brain to operate in school and in life. Focusing on a topic, memorizing in<strong>for</strong>mation, inhibition, cognitive flexibility and paying attention to multiple ideas simultaneously are examples of it. It is at <strong>the</strong> heart of all learning. Acquiring <strong>the</strong>se skills starts in early childhood and is crucial <strong>for</strong> healthy brain development through early adulthood. In fact, recent studies from <strong>the</strong> Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience at Boston Children’s Hospital indicate that EF is a strong predictor of academic achievement, even more than IQ. The solution to weak academic per<strong>for</strong>mance isn’t simply standardized testing or tutoring during <strong>the</strong> elementary years and beyond. It is music per<strong>for</strong>mance starting in early childhood, which promotes EF skills. A study from <strong>the</strong> Boston Children’s Hospital this past summer demonstrated through MRI brain imaging that musical training promotes <strong>the</strong> development and maintenance of <strong>the</strong>se abilities. Lead investigator Nadine Gaab says <strong>the</strong> brains of musically trained children display more activation and “more mature executive function networks.” This finding supports <strong>the</strong> widely held perception that music per<strong>for</strong>mance and academic achievement go hand in hand. Living evidence of music’s power to turn <strong>the</strong> most underserved on to learning exists in <strong>the</strong> U.S. chapters of El Sistema, which is an intensive after-school music training program <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> neediest children. Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Baltimore, New York City, and dozens of o<strong>the</strong>r cities have programs that have produced strong outcomes among students. Stan<strong>for</strong>d Thompson, executive director of “Play on Philly,” <strong>the</strong> local El Sistema program, boasts that its students outper<strong>for</strong>m peers who select academic tutoring and o<strong>the</strong>r afterschool programs, as measured by an independent educational assessment firm. In o<strong>the</strong>r major cities, similar stories of improved academic per<strong>for</strong>mance are emerging. Un<strong>for</strong>tunately, <strong>the</strong>se privately funded programs are all after-school initiatives that benefit a small percentage of children. Music per<strong>for</strong>mance happens outside of <strong>the</strong> school day because districts have not understood <strong>the</strong> positive impact it can have on academic per<strong>for</strong>mance. We must change preschool and elementary education to include music per<strong>for</strong>mance as a core subject. Studies show that early intervention is critical to avoid widening academic gaps fur<strong>the</strong>r down <strong>the</strong> road. Imagine including music training as a central part of <strong>the</strong> Head Start program, which serves nearly one million children annually. Preschoolers could learn how to read music and play an instrument. Music training in an ensemble could be an important part of <strong>the</strong> elementary curriculum. Students would per<strong>for</strong>m better on standardized tests as <strong>the</strong>y learn to process in<strong>for</strong>mation, focus, switch mental gears and regulate thought patterns more effectively. Resistance to change and complacency have shortchanged our children, particularly <strong>the</strong> underserved. Here is <strong>the</strong> truth: Playing an instrument wires <strong>the</strong> brain <strong>for</strong> learning. By teaching students to play music, we can increase <strong>the</strong>ir success in o<strong>the</strong>r disciplines. It is time that we pay attention to <strong>the</strong> evidence be<strong>for</strong>e us and rethink education. No child should be without music. My “Für Elise” moment is available to all. Mia Chung is a concert pianist and professor of musical studies at <strong>the</strong> Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She wrote this <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> Philadelphia Inquirer. It was distributed by Tribune News Service. Reprinted by permission. 5
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