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Music as an Essential Part of Human Nature
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Articles I know how music has an enormous effect on humans in general and children in particular. But researches exceeded all my expectations. I found that MUSIC IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF HUMAN NATURE.
Definitions of Music:
Music has different perspectives as definitions like that music is history as it usually reflects the environment, times of its creations and even the country it belongs to. Music is also physical education. It requires fantastic coordination of the fingers, hands, arms, lips, cheeks, and facial muscles, in addition to extraordinary control of the diaphragm, back, stomach, and chest muscles that respond instantly to the sound the ear hears and the mind interprets.
It is just the beginning of a long story that starts with the following question:
When could music first be perceived?
It was interesting to discover that evidence proved it to be "well before birth". The auditory system of the brain functions well by the 26th week; that is at the beginning of the last trimester of pregnancy. Responses to sounds consist mainly of body movements and changes in heart rate. Not only, but there is evidence of pre-natal simplest form of learning like habituation, to stop paying attention to repeated sounds that become boring then responding again when the stimulus is changed.
I also found out that prenatal exposure to music facilitates infant development. Infants of mothers who were in a stimulation regimen that included music, rocking and patting the abdomen from 28 - 36 weeks of gestational age, showed early development of the ability to recognize the mother's voice.
In another study, basic elements of music were played and progressed over weeks through more complex chords. Significant more rapid development of many behaviors was observed, including babbling, eye-hand coordination, facial imitation and ability to hold the bottle with both hands.
Not only, but studies also agree that music can be remembered after birth. For example, one study reported that one-week-old infants prefer the lullaby sung by their mothers during pregnancy. Behavioral responses were specific to the lullaby song. Results demonstrate that fetal learning and memory for music are extremely specific. Yet the memory skills start beyond week 30.
If that is what I found concerning the prenatal stage and its affect on infants after they’re born, then the effect on children that have greater abilities to learn must be even more surprising.
Researchers declare that Music Should Be Part Of Basic Education:
They say that music belongs in school, not only because it's fun, relaxing or socializing but also because it is a unique way of knowing. We comprehend the world in many ways: words, numbers, sounds and colors, each provide a particular insight. Together they produce a more complete comprehension. Music heightens feelings by saying what words cannot express. Nothing else can duplicate this unique and powerful way of knowing. Quality education means teaching and learning in every way possible—not just reading, writing and calculating—but also feeling, drawing, singing, dancing and creating.
Music excites brain patterns and enhances their use in complex reasoning tasks. Surprisingly, researchers say that the study of music theory gives the child a new way to conceptualize numbers and their spatial relationships. Also the exploration of rhythm helps some students understand fractions.
Not only music is related to math, but also other syllabus: Discrimination between sounds learned through listening to music is required to achieve in spelling lessons. Eye-hand coordination needed to learn to write can be developed by learning to play an instrument. Also study of the sounds of musical instruments can lead to an understanding of vibration modes in physics.
In conclusion, I found researchers decided that music is an absolute necessity for the total development of the individual. Each student should be given the opportunity to learn about music in school. Children deserve the best education possible and music has been proven to help achieve mental abilities. Not only but also they have reached the extent that children without access to an arts program are actually damaging their brain by not being exposed to non-verbal modalities!
Music fosters Personality Development:
Music allows human beings to use its dry, boring and difficult techniques to create emotion. It is one thing science cannot duplicate. In this business minded world emotions are sometimes disregarded. Yet, music can play an important role in the emotional development of children.
Performing and composing music are satisfying and rewarding activities. A child could become a vital member of a social group and removing such opportunities could deny the social growth of children cause feeling important is essential to a child's self esteem and development.
Personal expression is encouraged through performance in music, which is groundbreaking for some students who have been at odds with self-expression.
Music builds confidence since it is an activity that allows students to become "in charge", to make decisions based on their own thoughts, insights and knowledge.
Music education develops sensitivity and fosters discipline and commitment.
Creative participation in music creates positive attitudes about oneself and that individuals learn to support each other, maintain commitment and bond together for group goals.
Music Has Something for Everybody:
Achievement in music allows mentally handicapped students to achieve in other areas and helps them develop their self-confidence.
The immature brain develops intellectual capacity when a child participates in music activities which develop perceptual, imaginative and visual abilities, for example: developing language skills. But it is also important for curriculum to be motivational, exciting, and pleasing in order to be retained.
Music games can teach fundamental concepts. Children who are unable to learn concepts in a school setting are able to easily learn the same concepts through games.
But Why Isn’t Music Part Of Basic Education?!
Musical programs do cost money and extracurricular activities like music are the first areas attacked when a school faces budget cuts. Yet, to take music away from students would deprive them to experience the wonderful world of music. Schools that fail to foster music education deny students access to a stunning part of their culture, a basic key to understanding themselves and other people.
People are unaware of the possibilities found in music that should be taught to every student. Every school should have unlimited resources to educate children but the fact is: MANY DO NOT.
If parents can't afford lessons, they should at least buy a musical keyboard.... or sing regularly with their kids and involve them in musical activities.
We are slowly realizing the importance of music, but still hesitant to give it the value of the core subjects in education.
