Beginning a young child on piano lessons may not result in her playing a Rachmaninov piano concerto; however, one cannot diminish the benefits of early childhood music education. Surrounding young children with musical activities through processes of exploration, play, and interaction, fosters use of all parts of the brain. Claire Doodle Clark says that though some have believed music processes to take place in the right hemisphere of the brain, and that processes that take place in the left side of the brain include mathematics, and language, Levitin has proven otherwise. In Daniel Levitin's "This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of Human Obsession," he explores how studies prove music has distribution throughout the brain. Examples of those with brain damage, as in an inability to read the newspaper are found with the ability to still read music as music composition, listening, and performance engage all areas of the brain. According to Claire Dooley Clark, when young children take lessons, they develop gross, fine motor skills, cognitive skills, emotional and social interaction, language, self esteem, creativity and imagination, problem-solving, listening skills, coordination, and memory development.
These music education findings are presented to encourage parents to keep doing what they do with their young children; keep the lessons coming and know that lessons are not in vain.
No comments:
Post a Comment