Louis Zhang asked:


Over the years, documented studies have confirmed the benefits of music education on new borns and children.

Studies of Music Learning Benefits

Music education benefits include everything from changing a students’ mood to helping them solve math problems. In general, it helps a student become successful in the school environment. Music has immediate effects on brain activity which scientists are still studying today.

For example, a study was done that involved second graders and math. In this study, the school kids were divided into two groups. One group used newly-designed math software to augment their mathematical skills.

The other group also used this software but in addition the kids in this group received piano keyboard training. What are the results?

Both groups were tested and the second group of students scored twenty-seven percent higher on the math exam than the first group, which seem to show the positive effects of combining music teaching into other studies.

Other Studies Demonstrate The Positive Effects Of Music

Numerous studies have shown that learning and exposure to music results in improved communication between students. Fights and arguments are reduced. Also students who play in school bands are less likely to use tobacco and alcohol.

Benefits of music education also include enhancing interpersonal communication skills. This result has also been proven by some of the many studies done throughout the years.

A student who is having difficulty concentrating may find it easier when music classes has been added to the curriculum. Playing music helps a student become more self-disciplined and able to control their behavior better, because it provides an acceptable form of self expression.

If students learn to study music successfully they can use the same method to help them study in other classes. They will find it easier to understand instructions. Added benefits of music education include increasing a child’s creativity and helping him or her learn to cooperate with other students. Their social interaction skills improve after playing music together in a group.

In newborns, exposure to music is proven to help develop intelligence. Exposure to classical music helps develop reasoning and language skills in children when begun at an early age. In older children, music education helps them extend their knowledge of the world around them. Music education give children an avenue to contribute to society, which in turn helps them in life. They are more likely to become well-rounded individuals.

Conclusion

Today, no school education curriculum can be considered complete with giving students the opportunity to learn music.



VERNON

Marlene Rattigan asked:


Young children learn by doing, by being actively involved in their learning through exploring and experimenting, through copying and acting out. And so it is with learning music, the foundations for which are best learnt while developing primary language. As such, a successful early childhood music program must incorporate movement and should quite naturally involve learning across the curriculum. The music program, therefore, can form the basis for the whole curriculum.

1. Make it Fun. They are not in your class to learn music, but learning music is what happens while they’re having fun. It it’s not fun you’ve lost them. Fun for them may not be fun for you. If it’s not fun for you, you’ll NEVER be able to convince them that you’re enjoying it. You’ll start using every excuse not to do the music session because you’ll see it as a chore. If, on the other hand, you have a song, a piece of music or an activity you think is really cool, you’ll have no trouble engaging the kids as your enthusiasm will carry them through. Sounds pretty logical, yet few class teachers conduct music lessons as part of the daily curriculum. Find a resource that suits you and do something every day - even if for only five minutes.

2. Establish clear rules from day one. Without this your class will quickly disintegrate into a shambles. They must stop when the music stops. This encourages listening skills. Listening is a skill that has to be learnt. Hearing is a sense we are born with. There’s a huge difference. If they can listen, they can respond, and they can learn. Teach them about “space bubbles”. Have them stand with arms outstretched and gently swing around. No-one is allowed to go inside their space bubble. Anyone who does must sit to the side. They will not want to miss out on the fun so encourage them to join in for the next track of music or next activity. Do not allow “time out” to be a preferred option. Not every child will feel confident enough to participate fully but sitting out is not an option.

3. Young children learn by doing. Get them actively involved. Music at this age is music and movement. This will incorporate story telling through use of percussion instruments or drama; it will involve dance and action songs and also singing. It will also involve interpretive movement - play some gentle classical music and use scarves to stimulate the imagination.

4. Include motor co-ordination activities. This will stimulate and integrate right and left sides of the brain. Musical instruments are played with both hands. This subject is the topic of a great body of research. Children today are generally not physically active enough to get sufficient stimulation to establish neural pathways. If you can do something daily in the way of motor skills, especially cross-patterning activities conducted to music, it will help enormously.

5. Relate activities to their level of understanding. Engage their imaginations. They live in a fantasy world ‘ take advantage of it. You personally may not feel inclined towards fantasy. It doesn’t matter. Whatever engages them is what matters. Whatever you are wanting them to learn can be done best by engaging their imaginations, and fantasy is the easiest. Use drama in any way to engage their imaginations.

6. Praise them often. They respond best to positive reinforcement. A baby is born fearless. No matter how many times the baby falls over when attempting to walk, and despite injuries along the way, he or she will get up and try again, over and over until that skill is finally mastered. It never occurs to the child, or anyone else, that you have to get it perfect the first time. Everyone encourages them which is an added bonus. Somehow along the way though, by the time many children are in mid primary school, they have already been given so many negatives which erode their self-esteem that they give up trying new things.

7. Remember the K.I.S.S. principle and Keep It Simple Sunshine. Only do a few activities or songs at a time in your music lesson. Repeat them often and only when mastered do you add modifications or a new activity. Keep the whole lesson simple but fun. Do not confuse simple with easy. If the class structure is simple, you can easily add in a more challenging activity.

8. If the children are unused to music and movement sessions, do not try to be too ambitious. Five minutes a day may be enough for the first few weeks, depending on the children. Repeat the lesson (maybe up to three or four times) until confidence and competence improve. They need the repetition. You can add modifications for greater complexity and variation or change one or two activities before moving onto a new lesson. Set them up to succeed.

9. Initially the teacher should model the movements but not necessarily do all the running around. Choose a child to model for you (or the Teaching Assistant or even a parent) if you prefer not to or are unable to model the movements yourself. Observe the children’s ability to perform the skills in movement, music, drama, listening and social interaction. The music lesson thus contains so many more outcomes. You are then leveraging your time by combining learning areas. That is why the movements need to be modeled appropriately.

10. Finish each session with stretching and relaxation. (Stretches should never hurt.) After a “mat session” music lesson the stretch only needs to be a full body stretch on the floor, after which the children close their eyes and listen to the music. Initially -

Tell them what you want them to listen for, or, tell them a story of what the music is about, or, ask them to tell you what they think the music is telling them.

If you don’t relax the children at the end of the lesson, thus utilizing this time for the affective aspect of music, they’ll be unsettled for the rest of the day, especially if it’s a dance and drama session. When they are used to relaxing at the end of the lesson they will happily lie down and relax but they need to be taught how to first. Each relaxation session, therefore, does not necessarily have to involve active listening but initially it must. Children are sometimes loud and boisterous because they think that’s how they are expected to behave. Give them permission to be still and silent and teach them how. They need it.



ALDEN

Abby Reid asked:


A countless number of music schools have spawned in recent years due to a renewed interest in recording music. There are many career opportunities in the field of music. Whether you’re aspiring to be a music engineer or a legitimate recording artist, music recording training has become one of the best career training options available in the world today.

Career Opportunities In Music Recording

Music is not all about a microphone and a piano. A top class music recording involves many sophisticated equipments in addition to a qualified professional music engineer. The demand for music engineers today is very high. Countless

music recordings are released each and every month and a good music engineer can earn a significant amount of money in a short amount of time. Music engineers will be in higher demand the more their name and reputation is established. This means they can command a higher asking price for their services. Fame can indeed accompany money for many music engineers.

The Role Of A Music Engineer

Some people have this misconception that a music engineer is dealing with wires and circuits all day. The fact is a career as a music engineer is something entirely different than that misconception. A music engineer is usually referred to as the recording engineer in the recording studio. The digital audio workstations that you find in a recording studio are the music engineer’s instruments. The role of the music engineer is to fine-tune the music that is being recorded. This job requires enormous skill and proper training.

The Music Career Training

While there are many music career-training programs available today, if you truly wish to shine in your music career, it’s important to find the absolute best training programs.

One of the best music career training programs available is the ‘Conservatory’s Master Recording Program II’.

Unlike other conventional music recording training programs, the Conservatory’s Master Recording Program II concentrates totally on the art and science of sound. Starting from the basic principles of sound, this unique program extends for 42 weeks and finishes with the most sophisticated concepts of audio engineering. One of the main features of this training program is that the training program covers eight main aspects. The eight main areas of this training program are:

1. Audio Recording and Production – This part covers all of the basic principles of sound and educates students about the basic fundamentals of music recording.

2. Music Business – Here the student learns about the various methods of making money in a music related business. This session includes classes about audio copyrights and record labels.

3. Digital Recording – This is the doorway to digital recording. Lessons are available for digital recording and other digital techniques in the form of computer based applications.

4. Pro Tools – This is the most important part of the program. This session familiarizes students with the sophisticated tools used in digital audio processing and recording.

5. Sound Reinforcement – This session includes studies related to audio signal distribution.

6. Troubleshooting/Maintenance – Basic electronic engineering skills and test equipment skills will be taught to the aspiring music engineer.

7. Career Management – This is an opportunity to gain knowledge about the music industry.

8. Internship- This final session provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate skills learned and acquired throughout training.

The program concludes with students hopefully becoming successful music engineers and realizing their dreams of having a lucrative career in music.



GUILLERMO

Stephen Chua asked:


Music education classes can enrich the life of an adult or child in many ways. Children who learn a musical instrument or sing usually perform better on test scores at school.

Here are a few reasons why music education is beneficial to both adults and children

1) Build self-confidence while having fun.

For those who have music education classes in school, learning an instrument and playing in a band can be lots of fun. Children as young as eight or nine can be taught how to play a variety of instruments. Bands usually have concerts on a regular basis where the children can play for their parents and others in the school. Adults with music background can form their own bands and perform in public places. Performing to a public audience is a great way to build self-confidence for both adults and children alike.

2) Team work and friendship

Learning about the value of notes, time signatures, and exits and entrances will help them to be a member of a team. Each member of a band or ensemble must work together to produce a well-coordinated piece of music. Besides teamwork, they can make friends very easily. This is especially beneficial for children and other adults who want to be more sociable. Together, they can explore many different types of music and learn to play different musical instruments.

3) Better analytical skill

A good music education can help improve the analytical skills of adults and children. For children and students, music plays a significant role in improving their math and thinking skills in many cases. For most people, they use only the left side of the brain to analyze and solve problems. However, a music education can help develop the right side of the brain. The effect is that children or adult are able to solve problems in a shorter time and using better solution.

4) Stress Reduction

Music has widely been regarded as an effective mean to reduce stress. In fact, this is one of the reasons that make music education so popular. Many people actually feel calmer and cheerful when playing music, including children. However, heavy metal or rock music tends to have a reverse effect on many people and it is generally not suitable as a mean for stress reduction.

5) Turn music into a career

For those who have an immense love of music, they can turn it into a full time career. There are many types of jobs that are related to music. They include music teachers, professional singers or bands, conductors and many others.

Today, more and more parents are also encouraging their young children to take up music lessons. If there is no music education program offered at school, they will send their children for private lessons. This can be beneficial but in a different way. Instead of being part of a band, music students will have to learn to rely on themselves when playing their instruments. Many children tend to take piano lessons or guitar lessons because these are instruments that can be played alone or with a group. In fact, these instruments are also very popular with adults. Regardless of the instruments, a good music education will leave a positive effect on both children and adults for many years to come.



GROVER

Douglas Bower asked:


I am 19 days away from starting my Spanish classes-again! When the wife and I first moved to Mexico, we enrolled in Spanish classes. In fact, we took about four months of classes and after I completed them, I am proud to tell you I could say the following:

Hi! My name is Doug.

Hi! What’s your name?

Can I have a cheese sandwich?

Which way is the bathroom, please!

I took Spanish in high school, college, and for two years before moving to Mexico. I then took three hours a day, five days a week for four months. I came out able to order something in a restaurant and get directions to the toilet. Actually, I could say quite a bit more than that, but though I could make myself understood, I could not for the life of me understand what was being said back to me. This is not too unusual.

My wife read to me the other day of this poor dear in San Miguel de Allende who has had an experience similar to mine. She paid dearly to take Spanish classes in the city where she’s retired. Her conclusion was that it was “just too hard” and that she can’t understand Spanish when she hears it on the street.

I more than understand her pain.

My wife, who has had much less Spanish classroom time than me, is far better equipped in understanding Spanish. The first year, she far outdistanced me in her Spanish. She struggled with vocabulary and how to form sentences, but she could grasp what was being said to her on the streets. All I could do was look bug-eyed at someone who responded to my question and wonder just what country exactly I was in. I would all but have an aneurysm trying to keep up with someone speaking to me at the speed of light. The warp-speed Spanish was going to give me a brain tumor, I just knew it.

What became obvious to me was that my dear wife was the one in the community day in and day out. I was not. Though I had more vocabulary than she had, though my accent was excellent, though she had trouble rolling her “R’s”, she could make herself understood and understand the responses. She had trained her ear.

I have stayed in the house, mostly writing books. She has been in the city, in the stores, in the highways and byways of Mexican life, hearing far more spoken Spanish than me.

She was hearing the little kids with their beautifully melodic and lilting speech. She was hearing the slush-mouth teenagers more interested in slurring their words as though performing some rite of passage with the opposite ***. She was hearing the old people, los viejos, with their toothless Spanish pronunciations. She was actively engaged in something much neglected in Spanish as a Second Language Instruction - Ear Training.

When little Mexican kids begin forming words they seem to do so with this beautiful melody or music in their speech. Then, as they age, they develop bad speaking habits as all of us do in our native languages. However, though they grow old and begin to mush and slush their speech, they are understood. All of us have elderly relatives who talk so badly that your friends can’t understand them. I’ve been married to my wife for 25 years and still can’t understand her Dad when he talks. I don’t think I’ve ever understood anything he’s ever said to me. However, those in the immediate family have had their ears trained to understand my suegro when he speaks.

You have to engage in comprehensible listening to Spanish as you train your ear. What this means is that you need some sort of system whereby you hear understandable input of the level of Spanish you are currently at. It does no good if you are very basic, a baby in Spanish, to try and listen to a discussion of modern economic theory in Spanish. I’ve seen this all too often. These Spanish schools will lump you into a class with fellow students at levels from A to Z and expect you to keep up. It is not possible, and yet you find this in the Spanish schools all over Mexico. One lady who paid dearly to come to Mexico to study Spanish said she loved the experience but could not understand a thing said in class much less develop the skill to ask a question in Spanish.

If your Spanish is at the level of a two-year-old, then that is what you need to be hearing in a Spanish class. You need to hear the input that a two-year-old could understand and respond to with “goo-goo, ga-ga.”

Think about it for a moment. A Mexican child who totters off to Mexico’s equivalent of first grade could pretty much put to shame most, if not all, of us Americans who enroll in the local Spanish schools here. And yet, the way this child got to this point was learning Speech and not learning Language. The learning of Speech comes first. Comprehensible input and output at age-appropriate levels is what the child naturally goes through. So, by the time he or she is off for the very first day of class, there has been an ear training first, an output ability developed second.

That’s where most of the Spanish courses on the planet fail. You are pushed to produce speech long before you know anything. You are put into a position to learn a great deal about the language-grammar-before you can talk in the language.

Age-level appropriate comprehensible input first.

Age-level appropriate comprehensible output-speech production second.

Learning about the language-grammar, reading, writing, comes third.

Unfortunately few, if any, schools follow this course and the result is evident.

People spend a fortune on learning about the language and end up not being able to use Spanish speech.

It’s sad.



RALPH