Klarinet Archive - Posting 000608.txt from 1998/04

From: Anne Benassi <acb@-----.is>
Subj: Re: Smart people and Music (was Music and Science)
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 06:46:25 -0400

Though musicians and, increasingly, researchers, are all convinced of the
value of learning music while young, we who teach often have to deal with
students who have not had the benefit of early music study. I have a
22-year-old student -quite talented - who routinely eats out her stomach
lining because of this: she began at age 17 and is convinced that she will
never "make it" because of her late start. She is working this conflict out
very nicely, but I am sure it's not the last time I will run into it. My
conclusion: while we should lobby all we can for more music and art study
in grade schools, we must not close ourselves off to those individuals who
begin studying music later. They often have a great burden to bear because
of it. And we never know when we will meet up with the exception that
proves the rule: my husband began studying music at age 17, has a brilliant
ear for rhythm as well as finely tuned absolute pitch, and after his late
start, got his doctorate at Juilliard. Not bad for an old geezer.

At 19:50 12.4.1998 -0700, you wrote:
>How would one get copies of the research mentioned below?
>Thanks
>
>John Morgan
>
>Rich & Tani Miller wrote:
>
>> Not just secondary educators agree. The most crucial time for a child's
>> musical development is from birth up to age 9. Music learning theory
>> research bears out the fact that music aptitude which deals mainly with
>> aural skills, is pretty much set by this age. Students can still learn
>> music after this age certainly but their aptitude pretty much stays the
>> same.
>>
>> It also isn't a just a causal relationship. Current brain research is
>> showing many positive benefits of music study and physiological effects
>> that music can have upon brain development. It has really become a very
>> large field of research. The important key, though, is that students have
>> the opportunity to have QUALITY musical experiences at a very early
>> age--singing, moving, listening, playing instruments, . . .There are
>> certainly positive effects of studying music but research is beginning to
>> bear out so much more.
>>
>> If anyone is interested in this subject and related subjects, some names to
>> use as a starting point on the internet include Dr. Edwin Gordon(music
>> learning theory research, audiation), Dr. Frances Rauscher(research linking
>> spatial reasoning and piano instruction in disadvantaged preschoolers), and
>> Howard Gardner (Project Zero, multiple intelligence theory). There's
>> another researcher who worked with Dr. Rauscher--I forget the name on this
>> sunny Easter day.
>>
>> My school district has used this and other research as a basis for
>> justifying music, art, theatre, and dance study as being equally important
>> as all, yes ALL, other subject areas. Students are required to take all
>> fine arts areas through the tenth grade. I'm really curious to see what
>> kind of effect we'll have on things like standardized test scores although
>> that certainly isn't the most important reason for music!
>>
>> Tani Miller
>> Carter & MacRae Elementary School
>> School District of Lancaster
>> Lancaster, PA
>>
>> Kevin Fay wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >
>> > I think the real link is the true value of music education in our
>> > schools. If you want a rough approximation of who the top 10% of
>> > students are in any high school, you don't need a test--just stroll down
>> > to the band room. (OK, choir and orchestra too.)
>> >
>> > It could be a causal relationship--learning to practice certainly taught
>> > ME how to study--and the immediate feedback of hard work certainly helps
>> > a student's focus. On the other hand, it could merely be an effect
>> > (i.e., the better students tend to stick with the instrument). Either
>> > way, it is an incredibly valuable part of the education process for the
>> > more advanced students in secondary education, and (forgive the heat) a
>> > goddamned crime that it is among the first things to get cut by
>> > brain-dead adminsistrators finding a way to keep the funding for the
>> > football team.
>> >
>> > My wife is a middle school band director. One of the sales pitches she
>> > makes to parents is the value that music education has other than in the
>> > band room--band students simply do better in school. Oodles of
>> > statistics bear this out. I'm sure the secondary educators on this list
>> > will agree, and have a huge amount of anecdotal evidence as well. All I
>> > can say to them is keep up the good work!
>> >
>> > kjf
>> >
>> > --Original Message Follows----
>> > Reply-To: "Scott Morrow" <sdm@-----.edu>
>> > From: "Scott Morrow" <sdm@-----.edu>
>> > To: <klarinet@-----.us>
>> > Subject: Re: Music and Science
>> > Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1998 11:09:47 -0400
>> > Reply-To: klarinet@-----.us
>> >
>> > I have a BS in Chemistry and have been working in Biochemistry for
>> > the
>> > last 16 years. I, also, have been playing the clarinet routinely since
>> > 4th
>> > grade. I believe one of the skills that helps scientific people relate
>> > to
>> > music is an ability to deal with abstract concepts (you can't "see" a
>> > molecule, and try explaining musical interpretation to someone who has
>> > to
>> > touch or see something to understand it!). Also, music IS very
>> > mathematical - it is not difficult to see (especially from some of our
>> > more
>> > technical posts) that music is mostly a scientific field molded by
>> > creativity. (Actually, most of the more important scientific
>> > advancements
>> > were discovered by creative scientists, not technicians!)
>> > I am also a writer (plays and humourous articles) - also sort of
>> > abstract! One of the reasons I never went on to a PhD in science is
>> > that I
>> > DON'T want to give up my "creative" activities!
>> >
>> > -Scott
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: C E Field <CEField@-----.com>
>> > To: klarinet@-----.us>
>> > Date: Friday, April 10, 1998 10:03 AM
>> > Subject: Re: Music and Science
>> >
>> > >This is a fascinating topic.
>> > >
>> > >I am a Ph.D. (food & resource chemistry and chemical engineering) by
>> > education
>> > >and a computer journalist by trade (with 500 or so published articles
>> > in
>> > the
>> > >past 15 years). I also worked in medical research and teaching.
>> > >
>> > >BUT clarinets always have been and remain my first love. I started
>> > playing
>> > in
>> > >fourth grade...nearly 40 years ago (ugh).
>> > >
>> > >Cindy
>> >
>> > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
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