August 12, 2013

Music Training Improves Brain Function

During a drumming session, children are asked to follow or repeat rhythms, patterns, volume, and other sounds initiated by the group leader. The motor and listening skills involved in this musical exercise require attention, memory and the ability to inhibit other actions to stay on task. These skills, used in fun, are being developed and strengthened, which could lead to better learning across a number of domains.

Studies "found a correlation between early-childhood training in music and enhanced motor and auditory skills as well as improvements in verbal ability and nonverbal reasoning."

The correlation between music training and language development is even more striking for dyslexic children. "[The findings] suggest that a music intervention that strengthens the basic auditory music perception skills of children with dyslexia may also remediate some of their language deficits."(1)

(1) Music Improves Brain Function, by Phillip F. Schewe, 06 November 2009.

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