How does music benefit your child? Does music make a difference in the school or medical environment? What are some simple ways that you can add music to every day life?

While the “Mozart Effect” has been debunked by the majority of current research, impressive mounting evidence positively indicates that music, and specifically musical training, has positive effects on almost all areas of child development:

• A Brown University Study in 2006 indicated that music lessons in young children using the Suzuki method increases literacy and memory, as well as enhancing mathematical skills[1]. The Suzuki method, developed in Japan, teaches children as young as two or three how to play Western instruments using only their ears. By comparison, in the West children generally learn how to play instruments by reading music. Find out more from the International Suzuki Association.
• Music gives children freedom in self-expression and imagination and helps children socialize. Groups of children often use music as part of their dramatic play and interaction[2].
• Researchers from the University of Hong Kong discovered school age students learning classical music instruments showed a marked increase in verbal memory[3].
• Music and rhythm games accompanied by movement increase balance and agility. These same games improve a child’s concept of rhythm and the beat.[2]
• Vocal and piano lessons in childhood have been linked to increased long term intellectual ability, possibly because of the memorization and concentration needed[4].
• Music increases a child’s ability to understand the nuances of language[5].
  (See previous Music & Life article “The Secret Language Connection” for more information)

Now that you understand how music helps children develop in a variety of ways, here are a few practical ways to add music to your home or classroom:

1. Add music to every day activities

Click to read the rest…

Over at Ultimate-Guitar.com, a neuroscience student is inviting people to try an informal experiment with him, to test a method of developing absolute pitch.

It’s an interesting approach. He’s using a recording of a pure tone of middle C (261.6Hz for you Frequency Fundamentals students!) to ‘meditate’ on. Click to read the rest…

You might like to check out the guest post I just wrote over at MusicLessons4YouOnline.com, entitled “Want to play it? Hear it first!”

It’s about how you need to hear music in your head to be able to really bring life to your playing, and create new compositions or improvisations. I outline the steps to doing this, and how you can use ear training to help you hear more complex music in your head and connect it with your instrument. Here’s an excerpt:

“It may sound like a contradiction, but if you want to create music when you play you must be able to hear the music first – in your head. This goes doubly if you want to improvise, compose or play by ear!

Ever noticed how great jazz improvisers often sing along with their own solo? Or how rock guitarists’ mouths move as if they’re singing out each note they play? These players know exactly what sounds their instruments will make before they move their fingers to make it happen. It’s no coincidence that this is a habit shared by many of the greats!”
Read more…

Make sure you check out all the other great posts on MusicLessons4YouOnline.com too, there’s an incredible wealth of information, tutorials, and videos to help you learn music and instruments. Here’s a few starting points:

• How to Play Piano By Ear
• Guitar Practice Tip for Success (Most of these are helpful hints for any instrument, or indeed ear training!)
• 7 Reasons to Learn Music Theory

There’s also an associated site at MusicLessonsOnDVD.com which sells some great instrumental lesson DVDs.

So, take a look at the guest post and let me know what you think – in the comments here or there!