Wow! There have been some interesting findings on the impact of music on cognitive development. A Canadian study of four to six year old children showed increased verbal IQ scores for children who had been exposed to an experimental animated computer music program.
If you are interested in the details of the study, you can read about them here:
While this study offers more proof that music is good for the brain, I can’t help but wonder: Don’t children who participate in live musical instruction benefit even more? If you watch the brief clip in this article, it you may wonder the same. I certainly believe that any exposure to music education is beneficial. However, I hate to hand over music education to a computer. The best way to learn about music is to live it. The concepts and sounds can be replicated, but there is a lot that is lost too.
Sound itself is created by vibration. The vibrations that come from a speaker can’t compare to the vibrations and energy experienced when singing in a group, listening to a piano or beating a drum. Live music incorporates more of the senses, not just sound and sight. The Kindermusik classes that I teach (and maybe you attend?) emphasize the growth of the whole child. I love that we keep music a whole body experience with dance, touch, sight, communication, or social interactions. If only you could taste the music we would have all of the bases covered. Music celebrates both the self and those we share it with. The brain blossoms to receive this celebration. It grows as it fills with joy and wonder.
If a child’s IQ surges from computer based instruction, imagine how he responds to live musical instruction?
Do you think that children can learn as well from a computer as they can a teacher?
No comments:
Post a Comment