Why Music and Books?

Why Music, Art and Books for Kids?

Experiences and relationships children have during their early years have a positive effect on their development, which carries them through to adulthood.
Nurturing children and providing them with opportunities to experience fun, educational experiences in a social setting can produce life-long benefits.
Adding high quality musical accompaniment with songs and rhyme develops listening and communication skills, which benefit the community in both the short and long term.
Developing speech and comprehension by modelling literate and social behaviour.
Using stories and books as inspiration for play, developing imagination and creativity.
Demonstrating the enjoyment of reading and writing.
Children who are good readers are good learners.
Positive effect on mental and emotional wellbeing - children potentially do better at school so have more confidence and higher self esteem.
Provides opportunities after the performance for adult caregivers to engage with the child by reading books, singing songs, dancing, drawing and colouring in.
Research indicates 75% of brain development happens during the first 3 years of life.
Music
Rhymes and songs assist speech development
Kids appreciate the interaction between words, word play, rhythm and melody
Aids physical development, through dance and movement
Clapping in time, dancing and playing percussion develops fine motor skills and aids coordination.
Develops listening skills and discipline
Kids associate music and live concerts with socialisation with others
Creates a non threatening environment where kids can have fun
Does not discriminate between gender, or ethnicity, and can be enjoyed by kids with a disability
Allows kids to feel they are a part of a community -to belong.
Encourages imagination and creativity
Aids memory.
Develops breathing
Assists caregiver and child to develop their relationship, bonding and trust
Develops higher cortical functions in the brain related to language, thinking and decision making
Singing and playing percussion is a natural part of early development
Finding rhythms and patterns encourages children’s understanding of mathematical concepts
Children learn by playing
Books
Stories aid children’s imagination and creativity
Appreciation of art, colours, spatial concepts
Pictures prompt language and conversation
Aids early literacy and improves future literacy
Helps kids have an appreciation for words
Develops listening skills
Reading stories aloud to kids in a concert creates non threatening environment to enjoy language and reading
Develops social concepts, often portrays a message
Creates discussion
Reading aloud in groups aids socialisation, and a sense of belonging within the community
Encourages experimentation and taking risks with literacy and learning
Children are inspired to create their own art and books, which helps develop coordination and writing skills
Increases vocabulary and communication skills
Increases confidence
Developing hand eye coordination by looking at illustrations, and following up stories with drawing and colouring in activities.

Music for grownups!

Listening to classical music can:

Lower your blood pressure. According to a British study, participants took a challenging mental arithmetic test and were then put in a silent room and played different types of music. The classical music group had significantly lower post-systolic blood pressure levels.
Relieve your stress levels. A Taiwanese study found that pregnant women who listened to classical music showed signs of reduced anxiety and depression and a notable decrease in stress levels when compared to the control group.
Help fight depression and manage pain. According to a Glasgow University study, tests found that different types of music that varied in pitch, melody and rhythm do indeed evoke certain emotional responses in people; classical music stimulates responses beneficial to relieving emotional pain.
Improve your sleep quality. A Dutch study determined that classical music produced soothing instrumental sounds (harp, piano and orchestra, according to the study) that moderately improved relaxation and sleep quality in adults and elders.
Make you more at ease and open with yourself. An Edinburgh University study of over 36,000 music fans worldwide found that along with heavy metal listeners, surprisingly, classical music listeners tended to be more creative than other people, more at ease with themselves, and introverted.
Promote honest communication of your emotions. In a Southern Methodist University study, playing classical music in the background made people more comfortable to disclose personal experiences and promoted cognitive expression for an overall relaxed state of mind.
Enhance mental alertness and memory. A Northumbria University study found that when Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” particularly “Spring,” was played to test subjects, they were able to respond to their tasks faster and more accurately than subjects completing the test in silence.
Classical Music as Crime Deterent. In 2004, various British railway stations began piping in recordings of Mozart, Bach and Handel, which resulted in a one-third drop in the number of robberies and other crimes. Psychologists speculate that the relaxing melodies had a tranquilizing and disorienting effect on potential criminals. Train managers in northeast England reported a decrease in minor public nuisances such as spitting and smoking, and travelers said they experienced an increased sense of safety in the musically fortified zones.
Boosts your memory. Classical music increases the brainwave activity that's directly linked to memory.
Helps you be a happier person. Listening to classical music may help increase dopamine secretions, which activates the brain's pleasure and reward centre.

Music for dementia sufferers:

Music evokes emotions that bring memories. Music can evoke emotion in even the most advanced of Alzheimer’s patients. Neurologist Oliver Sacks says that, “Music evokes emotion, and emotion can bring with it memory… it brings back the feeling of life when nothing else can.” By pairing music with every day activities, patients can develop a rhythm that helps them to the recall the memory of that activity, improving cognitive ability over time.
Musical aptitude and appreciation are two of the last remaining abilities in dementia patients. Linda Maguire, lead author on the study wrote, “Musical aptitude and music appreciation are two of the last remaining abilities in patients with Alzheimer’s.” Because these two abilities remain long after other abilities have passed, music is an excellent way to reach beyond the disease and reach the person.
Music can bring emotional and physical closeness. In the later stages of dementia, patients often lose the ability to share emotions with caregivers. Through music, as long as they are ambulatory, they can often dance. Dancing can lead to hugs, kisses and touching which brings security and memories.
Singing is engaging. The singing sessions in the study engaged more than just the brain and the area related to singing. As singing activated the left side of the brain, listening to music sparked activity in the right and watching the class activated visual areas of the brain. With so much of the brain being stimulated, the patients were exercising more mind power than usual.
Music can shift mood, manage stress and stimulate positive interactions. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America has an entire web page dedicated to music therapy in Alzheimer’s patients. They say that, “When used appropriately, music can shift mood, manage stress-induced agitation, stimulate positive interactions, facilitate cognitive function and coordinate motor movements.” This is because music requires little to no mental processing, so singing music does not require the cognitive function that is not present in most dementia patients.
Stimulates Memory: people with dementia had a special ability to remember songs. Even if people with dementia can’t talk, they may be able to sing, whistle, clap or tap their feet. It helps them, and their carers, to feel life is worthwhile.

Thanks to Sarah Lesnar (Nextshark.com); Brooke Neuman (takelessons.com); Claire Mcadams (Livestrong.com); Alissa Sauer (alzheimers.net); Chreanne Montgomery-Smith, (Singing for the Brain, ageuk.org.uk )