It's time for Music - ALWAYS!

So it's Winter Holidays again - at least downunder! All our students are tucked safely away at home, practising their instruments to their heart's content - or not! Ah! Practise! Whatever it is, it isn't a 4 letter word. So it can't be all that bad after all.

I recently posted an article on just that very topic on our Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/FortemusicEastwood Click on this link to get you there and you'll find it to read. While you're there, if you haven't told the world you Like us yet, now's the time to rectify that.

As it is indeed winter, I am reminded that this cool weather is a lot like what we are experiencing in terms of global economy. So I want to put in a word here about Music lessons. They're not JUST about Music - they're teaching so much more.

From a purely academic perspective

 * Music is a Science 

* Music is Mathematical 

* Music is a Language - in fact it is probably the only true globally shared language
* Music is Physical Education              
* Music is an Art.

 However,  it is so much more.
Plato put it so well “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.”

Without Music life would be so much less - well, everything. So don't give up. The benefits of being a real active learner, not just be a passive participate, are too good to pass up - for now and for yours and your children's future. 

I am encouraged enormously to see the following article on the NSW Department of Education and Communities website. It's time we made sure that everyone knows exactly how important it is to learn music. And to start that very young. Religious orders have known the importance of 'educating' the young for centuries, we should too and redress the imbalance! Check it out. http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/homework-and-study/other-subjects-and-projects/the-arts/why-your-child-should-study-music

Music lessons - optional extra to Academic study and Sport??

I was recently presented with a situation where a parent decided that her child needed to stop all music lessons because he had been offered a position in a Selective High School NEXT year. It really did set me thinking once more about how sad it is that we see Music tuition and Academic study as mutually exclusive pursuits.

As I pondered on this frustrating, all too frequent situation- for musicians and music teachers alike - yet another article crossed my Inbox, with the delectable title "Musicians are probably smarter than the rest of us". (You can read the full text of the article elsewhere in this blog). I felt a little bit more encouraged that the obvious was actually just that - OBVIOUS! At least to scientists and musicians.

But what about parents? And even more - what about our educators and politicians who seem to be avoid the whole matter of just HOW IMPORTANT the learning of a musical instrument is, from an education and social and health perspective and the from Cradle to the Grave? Why is it that the benefits of learning to play a musical instrument are rarely given media time, other than through the scientists who keep 'discovering' it, or the musicians or teachers like me who keep trying to tell a world that somehow still thinks of music as an optional extra to life's experiences?

If scientists were pointing out how fantastic playing football was to the overall brain capacity of a person from the youngest age right through to old age, I guarantee it would make headlines. In fact, what did make headlines this past week were the results of a examination of the brain of an American football hero, who committed suicide at just 50. The results of those tests showed how damaging continual contact sports are - on nearly every level conceivable, the extent of damage depending on how often and where contact, known or unknown, was made during the short playing life of the sportsperson. Certainly not encouraging, but will it stop people from aspiring to be elite sports people? Perhaps not.

Australia is said to be a sporting nation. We revere our sporting stars, who are often paid large amounts of money to chase a ball around a field. In our society, the money they receive 'proves' that they are important and valuable. Yet, there is hardly a week goes by where we don't hear about some act of stupidity or thuggery or plain outright unlawful behaviour carried out by one of these 'stars' or heroes. We spend hours watching them on TV or in real life. There are TV shows totally dedicated to talking about their sporting achievements or failures, and so we spend more time watching ABOUT them.

Think about how much better it would be to spend an hour or so a week coming along to learn to play an instrument, which you can do for ALL your life and which can be of benefit to you for ALL your life!

Parents - it is your responsibility to see that your children are provided with this advantaged education - i.e. music lessons - and encourage them to see it as a life long enterprise. Music is almost guaranteed to ENHANCE the working of the brain, with no "Use By Date" either.

It seems so simple, doesn't it? So I ask again, why is it not obvious?

How much do SOCIETY, and you, value music education?

I recently received a circular from Sydney Symphony, featuring an article from Richard Gill. Richard Gill is Artistic Director with Sydney Symphony's education program. He is also a conductor, but mostly he is one of the most knowledgeable and passionate musicians I have encountered. (You can view Richard Gill speaking at this year's TEDx Sydney elsewhere in this blog.)

I would like to quote some of what he wrote. It is confronting when we understand the implications for our children.
"In Australia, some children are still being denied an opportunity to have a complete education. Children who are not receiving a well-planned and properly taught music program... are being denied educational opportunities and are being disadvantaged when compared with the small number of Australian children who do receive a good music education.

We teach music to children because it is good and because of its immeasurable capacity and potency to act on the heart, mind, spirit and soul of humanity.
We teach music to children because in doing so we acknowledge that there is almost no civilisation on earth without music somewhere at the heart of its existence.
We teach music because through it we can learn many skills associated with social inclusion and social interaction.
We teach children music because it is unique and has its own integrity as a subject or discipline."


There is a wealth of information you can find yourselves on the internet about tests and studies which have shown just how vital music is for the individual's education and ultimately for society. Tests have shown benefits in 4 major areas:

* Success in society

* Success in school

* Success in developing intelligence

* Success in life

You can read more extensively about this on http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/benefits.html

A recent survey in the USA showed that an average of 20% of high school students are enrolled in an instrumental music program. The survey also revealed that 80% of the academic awards are consistently gained by this 20% group of music students.

Although there is some difference of opinion about WHY it is that studying music, especially learning an instrument, can increase IQ scores, there seems to be no question that it just does. And not just in one area. This increase in ability spans many areas of thinking and learning outcomes.

"Formal education is promoted not only for gaining literacy and numeracy skills, as well as specific knowledge in various domains, but also for developing the
capacity for reasoning and critical thinking. Extracurricular experiences such as music lessons appear to play a role in this process." (Schellenberg, E Glenn: "Research Report - Music Lessons" University of Toronto at Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)

I speak often about Music from the Cradle to the Grave, and so it is not just in schools where music has demonstrated its benefits.

Research has shown that babies respond with more engagement to rhythm and beat than to speech! (University of York. "Babies are born to dance, new research shows." ScienceDaily, 16 Mar. 2010. Web. 30 Jun. 2011.) That should have HUGE implications for how we interact with our children from the earliest of days! (if YOU don't feel confident about having music like this, you should come along to our Jungle Music classes and be immersed in beat and rhythm activities)

Then more research demonstrates that "..music lessons taken in or out of school and parents attending concerts with their children, has a positive effect on reading and mathematic achievement in early childhood and adolescence." (ScienceDaily Feb 11, 2009)

Right up to our older age, it has been shown that active participation in music has some effect on delaying the onset of dementia, not to mention the therapeutic benefits music engenders in day to day life.

It is clear that Music has benefits for intellectual ability - it improves concentration, listening ability (both internal and external), reading and comprehension ability, mathematical perception, coordination, spatial reasoning, memorisation.
Music benefits our ability to maintain a relaxed focus; and has health benefits in a variety of ways at all ages.
Music is a unifying force in society and is a universal language.

How can we NOT make sure that our children - and ourselves - are participating actively in music education and music activities?

Welcome to the world of music at Forte

It is almost 10 years since I became Principal at Forte School of Music Eastwood and Parramatta. Much has changed. One thing remains constant - the pleasure we get from sharing our passion for music with all our students.
As the world of science continues to prove just how wonderful learning and playing and sharing Music is on so many levels - intellectual, social, emotional, psychological - and at so many age levels, I still am at a loss to understand why the learning of a musical instrument in this country is still considered by so many as an optional extra to our education.
We will continue to keep spreading the word that Music Rocks; Music Rules; Music Makes Wonders; Music Changes Lives.
This is YOUR forum to share musical experiences, triumphs, achievements, words of musical wisdom. It's way past time to recognise the power of Music in EVERYONE'S life agenda - from the Cradle to the Grave.
Margaret

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

A must watch video

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