"Music has the Power to Change Us."

Book Review:  Good Music Brighter Children, by Sharlene Habermeyer

In the book, Good Music Brighter Children,  Sharlene Habermeyer explores the scientific research on the effects music has on the brain, how to set the tone with music in your home, being an advocate for music education in our schools and then lists great resources for exposing great music and musical experiences to our children.

Introducing children to good music can:

• Accelerate language development
• Improve math and science skills
• Enhance physical coordination
• Strengthen memeory and reading retention
• Benefit children with learning diabilities

Did you know: "Scientists have found that music involves both left, right, front, and back portions of the brain, which explains why people can learn and retain information more readily when it is set to music."  Children learn better with music.  We have seen that with how quickly little children can learn nursery rhymes and their ABC's set to music. 

Did you know:  "When children expend the consistent effort required to learn a musical instrument, they discover that the discipline of this day-to-day task will affect how they approach their other responsibilities in life, such as the effort they put into their school studies or the degree of diligence they give to the development of other talents."

Did you know:  "Listening to classical music can increase memory and concentration, and studying a musical instrument has been shown to increase spatial reasoning."   

Did you know:  "Additionally, studying a musical instrument helps develop imagination, invention, creative thinking, communication, and teamwork skills - precisely those attributes needed for a twenty-first century global work force."

Music education develops creativity, critical thinking skills and leadership qualitities needed in today's technological society.  Hungary, Japan and the Netherlands have come out on top for science proficiency of their students.  What do these countries offer in their schools that we don't?  For one thing - training in music and the arts!

There are many ways to expose our children to music.  Starting before birth, we can play different types of music in our homes.  We can enroll our children in music classes even before they are ready to learn an instrument.   Then when they are old enough, about 5-7 years old, we can give them instruction on learning a specific instrument.   We can also expose them to ballets, operas, orchestras and concerts.  There are always free or low cost activities in the community or we can play great CD's and watch DVD's.  Habermeyer lists her favorite resources for you to find at the library or music store.

"Music whispers to us dim secrets that startle our wonder as to who we are, and for what, whence and whereto."  -Ralph Waldo Emerson