Early Childhood Music

Music’s Benefits Last a Lifetime

by

Denie Riggs

Administrator

Early Childhood Music

Albert Einstein’s fifth grade teacher told his parents that he was ‘stupid’ and incapable of learning. Albert had demonstrated an inability to take tests and to get passing grades. His teacher recommended they place Albert in a workhouse. Sometime later, he began to study the violin. Years later Albert credited his genius to the violin. Whenever he would get stumped while working on a formula, the answer would come to him while playing his violin.

When asked to write the Constitution of the United States, Thomas Jefferson struggled to find the right words to express his heart. After many restless days, he wrote his wife requesting that she send his violin to him. The landlord under his small office in Philadelphia states that she would hear Thomas pacing. Then she would hear music from his violin followed by silence. After playing music, Thomas was able to sit at the desk and write the foundational doctrine for our government, so eloquently worded and complete.

What happened to these two men as they played the violin? If we all study the violin will we become geniuses or great statesmen? Does the violin have some magical power over situations or the mind? No, it’s even better than that!

It has to do with brain function. The left hemisphere of the brain is the reasoning side. It is the part of our brain that enables us to walk and talk. The right hemisphere of the brain is the creative side. Research studies show that when a person sings or plays a musical instrument, both hemispheres of the brain are called to work together. No other activity we can participate in achieves this same result.

What we now know is that Albert Einstein was probably mostly right brain functioning. He was seen as a child as stupid and unable to keep up with ‘normal’ students. However, when music was brought into his life, both brain hemispheres flowed together. The genius locked up in his right brain was able to cross over to his left brain and he was able to function as probably the most brilliant man of our century.

The Bible tells us to sing and make music before the Lord. I have noticed recently how often the Bible says to sing praises to God. Why not chant praises or say praises. Do you think that perhaps, He who made us knows that our entire being flows together and is enhanced when we sing or play music? God wants us to use that ability to praise Him! How awesome.

Playing music formats the brain for orderly storage and recovery of data. Studies show that if a student practices music for one hour in the morning, the brain is formatted for better storage and recovery of information for most of the day.

Hungary is one of the poorest countries in our world. Yet they rank highest in academic excellence. Why? Could it be because they have a mandatory music requirement for grades one through nine? The first four hours of each day are set aside for music, orchestra and choir. That’s not all, the top three ranking nations in the world all have mandatory music requirements for their students in the lower grade levels. The results speak for themselves.

America spends 29 times more dollars than any other nation on education, yet ranks 14th out of 17 countries in academic excellence. Why? Could it be because music programs have been pulled out of our schools as unnecessary spending of tax dollars? How sad for our children. How sad for our nation!

Let’s look at some facts:

• In a recent study, 66% of music majors who apply to medical school are accepted, the highest percentage of any group. Only 44% of biochemistry majors are admitted.
• Musicians achieve higher grade point averages (GPA) than non-musicians in the same school do.
• Music students achieve higher ACT scores and other college entrance exam scores.
• Children who received piano/keyboard training performed 34% higher on tests measuring spatial-temporal ability than others. These findings indicate that music uniquely enhances higher brain functions required for mathematics, chess, science and engineering.
• There is a window of opportunity in young children. "Because neural connections are responsible for all types of intelligence, a child’s brain develops to its full potential only with exposure to the necessary enriching experiences in early childhood."
• "The piano is the instrument of choice because its keyboard gives children both a linear and audible representation of the relationship between sounds. What this means for parents is that they should consider giving children piano lessons as early as age three or four."

Here are some ideas to enhance your children’s brain function:

• Begin Early. Begin music lessons when your children are babies or toddlers. If your children are already older, begin lessons as soon as possible.
• Seek a Quality Music Program that incorporates voice and piano. The keyboard has been shown to be the instrument of greatest results for spacial reasoning and brain enhancement. The voice is our first and foremost instrument. Good ear training is very important in an early childhood program.
• Be actively involved. Seek a program that allows the parents to attend lessons with the young child. You are your child’s partner. Learn together!
• Keep Music A Priority. It is sad to see a child pulled out of music lessons to play ball or do cheer leading. While sports are great and can enrich a child’s development, will it give them needed benefits when they are seeking college entrance scores or choosing a life’s vocation?
• Practice Sessions. Establish a routine of daily practice sessions. Scheduling it at the same time of the day, everyday will allow practice to become as routine as brushing your teeth or eating a meal. The practice time duration must be geared to the age of the child. For example, a three-year old doesn’t need an hour of practice a day. Check with your child’s teacher.
• Try Morning Practice. For school-age children, practicing in the morning is most beneficial because the brain enhancement lasts for several hours immediately following the practice time. If you are a normal family and morning time constraints are present, staying organized will help! If your mornings are just too rushed, you may try allowing your child to spend one-half of their practice time in the morning and the remainder in the evening. The more time they practice in the morning, however, the better.
• Keep it Fun! We were created to make music. Singing and playing music can be a part of everything we do. Share it and enjoy it! Have fun!

Celebrate the Power of Music!

By 

Mrs. Denie Riggs

Spring 1999

Administrator of Early Childhood Music

Can you imagine our world without music? Talk radio twenty-four hours a day! No whistling while you work? Can you imagine sitting through a beautiful wedding or a romantic candlelight meal in silence? Music sets the stage for our emotions to soar. Music is a vital part of our everyday lives, but do we really understand its power?

• Moses may have understood a little of the power when he led the Israelites from Egypt. I can see him now, leading them in chants as they stomped through the desert to the Promised Land. Some of those same chants became part of our Book of Psalms.
• David knew the power of music when he performed before King Saul. His music calmed the king when he was restless and out of sorts.
• Paul and Silas knew the power when they were singing in prison and the jailhouse rocked! God used their powerful testimony of praise in persecution to touch the heart of the Philippian jailer.
• Every mother knows a little of the power when she hums a soothing lullaby to her fussy baby.
• Most of us learned the power of music when we sang our way through the ABC’s in first grade. And most of us can still sing them!
• Researchers continue to learn of the power of music. Studies reveal the benefits of music instruction for brain enhancement. Some of their findings show that:

1. Music gives premature babies the desire to live. Preemie wards all over the country are piping stimulating music into the nurseries and the tiny babies are responding.
2. Keyboard music’s study enhances the brain function of preschoolers and later allows them to excel in science and engineering skills.
3. Tests now prove that music students achieve higher scores on college entrance exams.
4. The study of the keyboard accelerates learning processes for all ages of life.
5. Adult women, who have studied piano sometime in their life, recover from strokes faster and further than adult women who have never studied piano.
6. We have seen the power of music with my own mother, suffering from advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease. She doesn’t recognize family members and is unable to do the simplest tasks, yet sings as beautifully as ever, remembering the lyrics and melodies to her favorite songs. The power of music triggers her memory and calms her anxieties. That power works even better than drugs!

Music is power. Power is strength. Music is a powerful tool that we can give our children to strengthen them, spiritually and intellectually.

Come on kids… let's make music!

THE BENEFITS OF TEACHING MUSIC  

TO YOUNG CHILDREN

This article is somewhat dry and factual.   

However, consider it a goldmine of information!  

It is worth your time to dig out the golden morsels of information. 

These research results were compiled by Denie Riggs, Spring 1998. 

We begin with an older study on music and reading, published by Hurwitz, Wolff, Bortnick and Kokas in 1975. The authors asked whether music training improved reading performance in first grade children. The experimental group received Kodaly training, which uses folk songs and emphasizes melodic and rhythmic elements. The control group consisted of children who were matched in age, IQ, and socioeconomic status at the beginning of the study and who received no special treatment. The music instruction was extensive, five days a week for 40 minutes each day, for seven months. Students were tested on reading ability at the start of the school year and then re-tested at the end of the year. After training the music group exhibited significantly higher reading scores than did the control group, scoring in the 88th percentile vs. the 72nd percentile. Incidentally, the benefits for the music group were not due to the better teaching of reading because students who had the same teacher before, during and after music training showed greatly improved reading performance. Moreover, continued music training was beneficial; after an additional year of Kodaly training, the experimental group was still superior to the control group. These findings clearly support the view that music education facilitates the ability to read." (Hurwitz, I., Wolff, P.H., Bortnick, B.D. & Kokas, K. (1975) Nonmusical Effects Of The Music Curriculum In Primary Grade Children.) (Italics mine.)

"At what age do musical capabilities first appear? Perhaps at birth or even soon after the functional development of the auditory system in utero. Research results show that babies studied at 2-4 days of age who had been exposed to the theme song of a popular TV program while their mothers were pregnant. When the same tune was presented after birth, they exhibited changes in heart rate and movements. More remarkably, fetuses of 29-37 weeks gestation age also showed specific behavioral responses to tunes played earlier in pregnancy. In both experiments, behavioral responses were specific to the tune to which they had been exposed. These results would seem to indicate that the learning and remembering of a melody can occur not only before birth but actually before or at the beginning of the third trimester." (Irish Journal of Psychology, Peter G. Hepper, 1991, 12, pp 95-107) (Italics mine.)

In 1994, a research team exploring the link between music and intelligence reports that music training–specifically piano instruction–is far superior to computer instruction in dramatically enhancing children’s abstract reasoning skills necessary for learning math and science.

The new findings, published in the February 1997 issue of neurological Research, are the result of a two-year experiment with preschoolers, led by psychologist Dr. Frances Rauscher of the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh and physicist Dr. Gordon Shaw of the University of California at Irvine. This team set out to compare the effects of musical and non-musical training on intellectual development.

The experiment involved 78 three-and four-year-old children of normal intelligence from three preschools in Southern California. Thirty-four received private piano lessons, twenty received private computer instruction, ten received singing lessons and fourteen in a control group received no special lessons. None had prior music lessons or computer training. Those children who received piano/keyboard training performed 34% higher on tests measuring spatial-temporal ability than the others. These findings indicate that music uniquely enhances higher brain functions required for mathematics, chess, science and engineering.

These studies show that early experiences determine which brain cells (neurons) will connect with other brain cells, and which ones will die away. Because neural connections are responsible for all types of intelligence, a child’s brain develops to its full potential only with exposure to the necessary enriching experiences in early childhood. What Drs. Rauscher and Shaw have emphasized has been the causal relationship between early music training and the development of the neural circuitry that governs spatial intelligence. Their studies indicate that music training generates the neural connections used for abstract reasoning, including those necessary for understanding mathematical concepts." (Music Beats Computers at Enhancing Early Childhood Development, American Music Conference via PR NEWSWIRE: Neurological Research, February 1997) (Italics mine.)

Scores on a puzzle task, designed to measure spatial reasoning ability, increased significantly during the course of the period they received the music lessons." (Music Increases Intelligence Report, College of Computing, Georgia Tech, August 24, 1994)

Dr. Gordon Shaw, the study’s principal investigator, (physics professor), said the piano was the instrument of choice because its keyboard gave the children both a linear and audible representation of the relationship between sounds. All children in the study were tested to measure their spatial reasoning skills prior to any training, and then again after about six months of lessons. Researchers utilized a standard test used in schools nationwide to score children’s reasoning abilities.

What this means for parents is that they should consider giving their children piano lessons as early as age three or four," said Shaw. " (UCI Journal, Spring 1997) (Italics mine.)

We next consider the effects of training with music on learning and creativity. Mohanty and Hejmadi investigated the effects of various types of training of four- and five-year olds on learning the name of their body parts and on creativity as assessed by the Torrence Test of Creative Thinking, involving picture construction and picture completion. There were four matched groups: non-training control, verbal instruction in the names and uses of body parts, verbal instructions plus acting out movements, and the music/dance group in which instructions were given by song and acting out movements was done in the form of a dance. After twenty days of training, all experimental groups exhibited higher test scores than the control group. The music/dance group showed the greatest improvement in learning about body parts and creativity. Thus, improvement in cognitive abilities can result from a variety of training experiences, but music is the most effective of these treatments. The means by which music and other training produces improvement in the cognitive abilities studied remains to be determined." (Mohanty, B. & Hejmadi, A. (1992). Effects Of Intervention Training On Some Cognitive Abilities Of Preschool Children. Psychological Studies, 37, 31-37.) (Italics mine.)

In summary, we have reviewed several studies that support the conclusion that musical training facilitates cognitive skills, including reading, abstract spatial abilities and creativity. In each case, there is an extramusical positive effect. Thus, it appears that music studied for good and sufficient reasons for its own sake has beneficial ‘side effects’ on cognition."(Rausher, F.H.,Shaw G.I., Levine, L.J., Ky, K.N. & Wright, E.I. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Society, Los Angeles, CA., August 13, 1994.) (Italics mine.)

Notes ee ^e from Denie Riggs:

Well, there you have it, except that I wanted to add one more thing.

Recently one of my adult students told me that she had done her thesis on this subject. Her research showed that adult women who had suffered a stroke in their later years, recovered faster and further if they had studied music than those who had not.

The brain function is therefore enhanced throughout life.

Come on kids…let’s make music!

Hum a Happy Tune!

By Denie Riggs

Administrator Early Childhood Music

www.earlychildhoodmusic.net

You may be familiar with the tune ‘Whistle While You Work’ or ‘Just Singing In the Rain’. These songs seem to indicate that humming a happy tune can change how we view our circumstances by lifting our spirits and changing our mood.

As a mother of five, I know that often the stresses of family life can be greater than that of a jackhammer operator. Often the much-anticipated family vacation can be a time of pent-up nerves and frustration. When those times occur, stop and observe. What are you listening to?

Change your atmosphere by putting on a CD or tape of happy songs. You will be amazed at how music’s power will overcome irritating circumstances, calming and restoring peace, both in caregivers and in children.

But don’t stop there. Sing along!

Researchers indicate that music’s power goes far beyond an emotional lift. Physical changes occur in our brain when we hum or sing, bringing about a change in brain chemistry, which in turn lifts our spirits and calms our stress. This change is similar to that of a runner’s high, without the extreme exertion. Similar to physical exercise, singing (and moving) to music increases the brain chemicals called endorphins that cause euphoria, overcomes fear, depression, allows for creativity and brings calmness. (Mozart Effect.)

Here are some tips:

• When preparing for summer vacation, load your suitcase (or car) with happy CDs and tapes. Tuck in some soothing string classical music for calmer times.
• Make (or purchase) some rhythm instruments. Take time every day to make music with your children. Ear training and rhythmic development are enhanced by exposure to music’s powerful influence.
• If the occasion permits don’t just listen to music, don’t just sing along, but move to the beat. Do a rain dance; stomp around with your children. Be silly, have fun. They will expend some of their energy while valuable memories are being created. All of you will benefit with emotional calmness.
• Singing music stimulates creativity. Try this experiment. Before your daily music session, give your children a pad of paper. Have them spend 5-10 minutes drawing. Then have a music session, including moving and singing for at least 10-15 minutes. After the music session, ask them to draw again. Compare the two pictures. You may be amazed at the results. Creativity will fly!
• Encourage, encourage, encourage. Encourage your child to use their singing voice. Humming and singing may be a healing tool for life’s stresses later in adulthood. A few words, ill-spoken, can harm your child’s confidence forever.
• Remember that music’s benefits last a lifetime. At no time is its power greater than in early childhood. Take advantage of every opportunity.

Come on kids; let’s make music.

Invest in Futures

By

Ms. Denie Riggs

Early Childhood Music®

Yamaha has a picture in one of our schools depicting children gathered around a keyboard.  The caption reads, “Invest in Futures.” Although this picture has been hanging around for several years, I never really ‘got it’ until recently when compiling the academic profiles of nine children who had just completed our program. 

Their profiles read like the Who’s Who of the seven-year-olds! Each of the graduates had achieved some amazing accomplishments in their very young lives.  All nine reported straight “A’s”, top reading scores, science and mathematics scores in their classes.  They also led their peers in social skills, performing skills, sports, confidence, musicianship and more.  Included in this elite group of seven-year-olds was the Alabama state winner of the PTA Reflections composition music contest for 2004, Tiny Tim of the Huntsville Playhouse, the leading role in La Boheme and the only child invited to sing solo in the Huntsville opera this past Christmas.  All of the children are reading at least 4^th grade level in first/second grade.  One parent reported their child scored 141 on their IQ test.

If it had been just one or two of the students excelling, we would have said, “WOW, what great kids.” 

But with the entire graduating class reporting the same achievements, we have to stop and say, “WOW, what power in music!”

The parents of these children had invested financially in at least four years of music lessons.  They had invested in quality time given to daily practice, HomePlay sheets and performing events.  

Time and dollars spent on music lessons invested into their children's lives produced better results than if they had taken those dollars and secured them a very good college fund.  Why?  

Because piano-based music lessons in very early childhood prepare children’s brains for brilliant futures.  The enhanced circuitry brings about higher intelligence required for mathematics, chess, engineering careers, law or medical degrees. That wiring lasts a lifetime!  Academic grades and scholarships are just one by-product.

 Recently a friend’s son, preparing to graduate high school, had been seeking a high ACT score so that he could gain entrance into his chosen college.  Secondary to that was his desire to earn a scholarship. He tested and re-tested.  Not scoring sufficiently, he studied and was tutored.  Then he tested and retested again.  His parents stood helplessly by, and prayed.

 As parents of very young children, you have the opportunity to do more to equip your child for their future. 

 Let’s look at some facts:

·        66% of music majors who apply to medical school are accepted, the highest percentage of any group.  Only 44% of biochemistry majors are admitted.

·        Musicians achieve higher grade point averages (GPA) than non-musicians in the same school do.

·        Music students achieve higher ACT scores and other college entrance exam scores.

·        Children who received piano/keyboard training performed 34% higher on tests measuring spatial-temporal ability than others. 

·        There is a window of opportunity in young children. Because neural connections are responsible for all types of intelligence, a child’s brain develops to its full potential only with exposure to the necessary enriching experiences in early childhood.

·        The piano is the instrument of choice because its keyboard gives children both a linear and audible representation of the relationship between sounds.  When a child plays the piano and sings, nothing can surpass the brain-function enhancement achieved.

·        We were created to make music. Singing and playing music must be a part of everything we do. Musical foundations achieved in their early years pay non-musical dividends for the rest of their life.

 Give Them the Best Start!! ♫

(Copyright 2005)

Enhanced Brain Power Through Music

by

Ms. Denie Riggs

Early Childhood Music®

Albert Einstein’s teacher labeled him as “stupid and incapable of learning” and recommended that he be placed in a workhouse.  That is exactly what his parents did!  Yet, later he became known as a genius.  What happened?

The power of music became the key to unlocking Albert’s brain. You see, Albert’s father got him a violin.  Albert, in his adulthood, contributed his ability as a genius to the study of the violin.  Music unlocked his brain!

The Bible instructs us to sing and make music to the Lord.  God has given all of us innate ability to be worshipping musicians … and to excel academically.  How is that possible?  Amazingly, the secret isearly music study.

Babies have an over-production of neurons seeking paths to wire. An enriched environment stimulates a baby’s brain, starting before birth, dictating whether those neurons connect and “bloom” or get “pruned.”  A child’s brain formation is complete by the age of five years.  When stimulated, the advanced neural wiring links right brain to left brain, preparing the child’s brain for higher learning, especially in the areas of math, reading and science.

We are all born with innate musical giftings of natural rhythm and ear training.  Without early stimulation, these gifts become like windows that shut.  Music research indicates that piano-based music study is the number one music stimulator.  The dilemma is that it is very difficult for a child under five years old to be successful in private lessons.  We have found, however, that given the right tools, preschool children can learn to play the piano successfully in order to benefit musically andacademically for the rest of their lives.

Here are some tips …

¯  While private piano lessons are too structured for preschool children, a group lesson that includes piano, movement, ear training, rhythm instruments and fun enhances both musical abilities and brain wiring.

¯  Mom’s singing voice has been shown to achieve the highest brain enhancement in prenatal babies.  Expectant moms should sing, sing, sing.

¯  Gently bouncing your baby stimulates neural connection.  Put your baby in a Jolly Jumper and play some upbeat worship favorites.

¯  Surround your children with classical music or praise /worship music with a slow tempo. These styles of preferred music will enhance your family’s immune systems, create accelerated brain wiring in your preschool children and reduce stress in the process.

 Take advantage of God’s gift of music and open windows of opportunities to enhance your children spirit, soul and body.  Who knows, maybe your child will become the next world changer.

 Come on children … let’s make music. (Copyrght 2009)