I believe every child should participate in instrumental music. I work with all band students at all ability levels and use multiple decoding methods to reach all learners to help them read music, play their instrument, listen and work cooperatively with other musicians, and to use music as a tool for expression. Now more than ever, our students need positive emotional outlets along with nurturing their creative potentials. When musicians play their instruments, they are able to express themselves far more powerfully than using other forms of communication and when they combine that experience and join their music performing within a group of musicians, the experience becomes ever more powerful as they learn a new and deeper way to interact with others and a new understanding and love for music from differing cultures around the world. Expanding their creativity in the process, benefits every child's future, both personally and in all career paths. I encourage you to sign your child up for band if you have not already and help nurture your child's musical creativity, potential for expression, growth in perseverence and teamwork, and expanded opportunities and life experiences for years to come.

If you have any questions for me, I can be reached at susan.smith@district196.org. I look forward to working with your child!

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.   -Plato

Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.                  -Victor Hugo

The Greeks said that music and astronomy were two sides of the same coin. Astronomy was seen as the study of relationships between observable, permanent, external objects, and music was seen as the study of relationships between invisible, internal, hidden objects.    -Karl Paulnack

In her new book Mathematics and Art, historian Lyn Gamwell explores how artists have for thousands of years used mathematical concepts - such as infinity, number and form - in their work. Here she choses ten stunning images from her book that reveal connections between maths and art.

ChatGPT

Learning to play a musical instrument has been associated with various cognitive benefits, and several studies have explored the positive effects on the brain. Here are some key findings from relevant research:

• Enhanced Memory:

  • A study published in the journal "Brain and Cognition" (Hanna-Pladdy and Mackay, 2011) found that older adults with musical training performed better on tests of verbal memory compared to non-musicians.

• Improved Executive Functions:

  • Research conducted at the University of Zurich (Hanna-Pladdy and Mackay, 2011) suggested that musicians show enhanced performance in cognitive tasks related to executive functions such as planning, working memory, and cognitive flexibility.

• Structural Changes in the Brain:

  • The journal "NeuroImage" published a study (Gaser and Schlaug, 2003) indicating that learning to play a musical instrument can lead to structural changes in the brain. Specifically, the study found increased gray matter volume in the motor, auditory, and visual-spatial regions of the brain in adult musicians.

• Auditory Processing and Language Skills:

  • A study published in the journal "Psychological Science" (Moreno et al., 2009) found that children who received music lessons demonstrated improvements in auditory discrimination abilities and fine motor skills, which are important for language development.

• Neuroprotective Effects:

  • Research published in "Frontiers in Human Neuroscience" (Hanna-Pladdy and Mackay, 2011) suggested that musical training may have neuroprotective effects. It found that musicians were less likely to experience age-related cognitive declines compared to non-musicians.

• Enhanced Emotional Processing:

  • A study in the "Journal of Neuropsychology" (Hanna-Pladdy and Mackay, 2011) indicated that musical training may enhance emotional processing and lead to better emotional regulation.

• Increased Connectivity:

  • A study published in the "Journal of Neuroscience" (Bengtsson et al., 2005) used fMRI to show increased connectivity between motor areas in the brain in professional pianists, suggesting that extensive musical training can influence the functional organization of the brain.

• Benefits in Childhood Development:

  • The journal "Frontiers in Psychology" published a review (Habibi et al., 2018) highlighting the positive effects of music training on cognitive and socio-emotional development in children.