28/4/2015 ScienceJustDiscoveredSomethingAmazingAboutWhatChildhoodPianoLessonsDidtoYou

http://mic.com/articles/108022/sciencejustdiscoveredsomethingamazingaboutwhatchildhoodpianolessonsdidtoyou 5/22

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ScienceJustDiscoveredSomethingAmazingAboutWhatChildhoodPianoLessonsDidtoYou

ByTomBarnesJanuary08,2015LikeMiconFacebook:

Ifyourparentsforcedyoutopracticeyourscalesbysayingitwould"buildcharacter,"theywereontosomething.TheWashingtonPostreportsthatoneofthelargestscientificstudiesintomusic'seffectonthebrainhasfoundsomethingstriking:Musicaltrainingdoesn'tjustaffectyourmusicalabilityitprovidestremendousbenefitstochildren'semotionalandbehavioralmaturation.

ThestudybytheUniversityofVermontCollegeofMedicinefoundthateventhosewhonevermadeitpastnurseryrhymesongsanddoremi'slikelyreceivedsomemajordevelopmentalbenefitsjustfromplaying.Thestudyprovidesevenmoreevidenceastowhyprovidingchildrenwithhighqualitymusiceducationmaybeoneofthemosteffectivewaystoensuretheirsuccessinlife.

Source:SteveRussell/GettyImages

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28/4/2015 ScienceJustDiscoveredSomethingAmazingAboutWhatChildhoodPianoLessonsDidtoYou

http://mic.com/articles/108022/sciencejustdiscoveredsomethingamazingaboutwhatchildhoodpianolessonsdidtoyou 6/22

Thestudy:JamesHudziakandhiscolleaguesanalyzedthebrainscansof232childrenages6to18,lookingforrelationshipsbetweencorticalthicknessandmusicaltraining.Previousstudiestheteamhadperformedrevealedthatanxiety,depression,attentionproblemsandaggressioncorrespondwithchangestocorticalthickness.Hudziakandhisteamsoughttodiscoverwhethera"positiveactivity"likemusicaltrainingcouldaffecttheoppositechangesinyoungminds.

"Whatwefoundwasthemoreachildtrainedonaninstrument,"HudziaktoldtheWashingtonPost,"itacceleratedcorticalorganizationinattentionskill,anxietymanagementandemotionalcontrol."

Thestudyfoundincreasedthicknessinpartsofthebrainresponsibleforexecutivefunctioning,whichincludesworkingmemory,attentionalcontrolandorganizationalskills.Inshort,musicactuallyhelpedkidsbecomemorewellrounded.Notonlythat,theybelievethatmusicaltrainingcouldserveasapowerfultreatmentofcognitivedisorderslikeADHD.

Source:GettyImages

Weneedthissortofproofnowmorethanever.Inpresentingtheirfindings,theauthorsrevealaterrifyingtruthabouttheAmericaneducationsystem:Threequartersofhighschoolstudents"rarelyornever"receiveextracurricularlessonsinthemusicorthearts.Andthat'sdeprivingkidsofwaymorethanjustknowinganinstrument.

Schoolsystemsthatdon'tdedicateadequatetimeandresourcestomusicaltrainingarerobbingtheirkidsofsomuch.Priorresearchprovesthatlearningmusiccanhelpchildrendevelopspatiotemporalfaculties,whichthenaidtheirabilitytosolvecomplexmath.Itcanalsohelpchildrenimprovetheirreadingcomprehensionandverbalabilities,especiallyforthosewhospeakEnglishasasecondlanguage.

InthesewaysmusiccanbeapowerfultoolinhelpingtoclosetheachievementgapsthathaveplaguedAmericanschoolsforsolong.It'sevenbeenshownthatchildrenwhoreceivemusicaltraininginschoolalsotendtobemorecivicallyengagedandmaintainhighergradepointaveragesthanchildrenwhodon't.Inshort,musicaleducationcanaddressmanyofthesystemicproblemsinAmericaneducation.

Hudziak'sresearchisanimportantadditiontothefieldbecauseitshowsthatmusichelpsusbecomebetterpeople,too.Onethingisclear:Learningmusicisoneofthebestthingsapersoncando.Whoknowsrunningscalesmayhavechangedyourlife.Anditcouldchangethelivesoffuturegenerationstoo.

h/tWashingtonPost

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TomBarnesTomBarnesisaStaffWriterforMic.com'smusicsection.AgraduateofNYU,he'sworkedbriefstintswithColumbiaRecordsandMiracleMusic.Hebelievesthemindneedsmusiclikethebodyneedsfoodandwater,andhealwaysfeelsthethirst.Follow@hotchiligumbo

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