PIANO LESSON NEWS AND UPDATES
JUNE 2021
May 2021
1485 S. COLORADO BLVD. SUITE 130
720-708-3251
admin@denverama.org
IMPORTANT FREE REPORT
You want to give your child every advantage in life that you can.
Remember the milestones? Their first word? Their first little bud of a tooth? The first time they walked? That first haircut? Their first sentence? We were so proud! We have always wanted what is best for our children.
If this sounds like you, I'm betting that before moving to a new neighborhood, chances are, you probably researched the schools to make sure the system offered a high quality education. You probably signed your kids up for sports to help them stay physically fit and to learn teamwork and to develop their coordination. We want our kids to have every opportunity to thrive because, after all, a parent's job is to get their children ready to be out on their own someday, right?
We want them to grow into intelligent, kind, courageous, trustworthy, honest and responsible adults. But what else can we do? What if I told you that there is something that you can do for your kids that will help develop their brain in ways that have been scientifically proven to give them an advantage in cognitive abilities?
Not only that, but, the gift that you give to them will last a lifetime and bring them joy on so many levels. I know this to be true because I was given this gift when I was only 6 years old. I've been enjoying the gift almost everyday for the past 50 years! Thanks Mom and Dad!
My parents signed me up for piano lessons. It became "my thing" growing up. Long story short, I am now a piano teacher and I own Denver Academy of Musical Arts. Sometimes, I'll play something really challenging and I really have no idea how I did that. Yes, I practice but, at a certain point, your mind has to learn to allow your muscle memory do it's job. Kind of like if you thought about every movement as you walk, it would probably not be a smooth and effortless endeavor. My brain is trained to do this. There are studies that show brain scans of musicians and how they differ from non-musicians. It's really fascinating. (I've included links below to the studies).
Taking music lessons has such a positive effect on kids. It boosts their confidence, it teaches them self-discipline and it makes them smarter. I have witnessed this over the years with all of my students. Not all kids will continue learning their instrument through college -only a very small percentage, in fact. But studies show that just taking lessons even for a few years makes a difference in cognitive development.
You will find that a lot of musical kids are also very good at math and science. Does that mean music helped them get better in those subjects or is it that the type of brain that is good with math and science is also good at music? Chicken or the egg?
At Denver Academy of Musical Arts, our students' average age range is between 5-17 year old but we also give lessons to adults. Playing an instrument is also excellent for seniors who want to keep their minds sharp. As you can tell I'm a HUGE advocate for learning to play an instrument!
Just click on the link below to inquire about taking private lessons in piano, voice, guitar, drums, strings or wind instruments. I'm happy to give you more information about in-person, private lessons at Denver Academy of Musical Arts. We would be honored to be a part of your child's musical journey.
Best,
Ms. Michele
©2024 Michele E. Kennedy
Which came first?
Smart kids learn to make music
Learning music makes kids smart.
or is it...
Learning music makes kids smart.
Smart kids learn to make music
Does learning to play a musical instrument make kids smart or are kids who are already smart learn to play an instrument? The answer is both. According to a research study by MIT published in the Journal of Neuroscience, suggests that while coding has been touted as beneficial for children's intelligence and success, music may actually offer greater advantages. Contrary to the belief that coding enhances math and language skills, the study reveals that learning music in early life significantly shapes brain development, fostering increased connectivity and neurological capabilities. The research involving brain scans of professional musicians and non-musicians indicates that musicians possess notably stronger structural and functional brain networks, particularly in areas related to speech and sound. Moreover, the study emphasizes the importance of early music training, as those who began musical practice earlier displayed more robust neural connections. The findings imply that early exposure to music could lead to smarter children with enhanced cognitive abilities. This challenges the traditional emphasis on coding and suggests that music may be a more effective pathway to nurturing intelligence and success in children. Click on the link to read the study in the Journal of Neuroscience
title: "Brain Structures Differ between Musicians and Non-musicians."
Music Gives the Brain a Crucial Connective Advantage
"We can change the way our brains are wired."
A study by Lutz Jäncke, a neuropsychology researcher at the University of Zurich and Simon Leipold, a psychiatry researcher at Stanford University found that that musical brains have stronger structural and functional connections compared to those of non-musicians. By comparing brain scans of professional musicians and non-musicians, Jäncke and his team notice significant differences in their brain. They concluded that learning music early in life actually makes the brain more connected, inducing neural plasticity capable of improving neurological capabilities beyond music.
"The earlier the musicians had started with musical practice, the stronger these connectivities," Jäncke says. The age someone picks up a violin or trombone is an important aspect for "shaping the brain and installing extraordinary functions," he adds.
Interestingly, they noted that a professional musician's level of mastery had other factors involved in addition to the amount of practice time they had accumulated. "The current state of research suggests a highly complex interaction between genetics and environmental factors in the emergence of musical expertise," Leipold says.
Previous studies suggest that certain parts of musicians' brains are larger and they show extraordinary listening abilities. All of the musicians' brains were vastly more structurally and functionally connected than non-musicians, especially in areas of the brain responsible for speech and sound (especially the auditory cortices of both hemispheres). These connections "undoubtedly" improve the group's musical abilities, Leipold explains.
Ultimately, the findings bolster evidence that learning new things, especially a musical instrument, has tremendously positive effects on the growing brain. Leipold himself learned to play piano as a child, although he notes now, he is "far from a highly-trained musician."
"If someone told me then about the possibility of changing the wiring of my brain, I might have spent more time practicing the piano and less time on the soccer field," Leipold reflects.