Dear Editor:
”
Coincidentally
”
, (I don’t believe in coincidences), just before I read the
letter from Arline Silva, et al., of the Theatre Angels Arts League
encouraging support for classroom music, I read an article on brain
function titled
”
Music Lessons Also Boost Children’s Vocabulary
”
in the Mercury News.
Dear Editor:
“Coincidentally”, (I don’t believe in coincidences), just before I read the letter from Arline Silva, et al., of the Theatre Angels Arts League encouraging support for classroom music, I read an article on brain function titled “Music Lessons Also Boost Children’s Vocabulary” in the Mercury News. (Aug. 5, pg. 2F)
The article was based on a study of the verbal skills of a group of boys, half of whom were members of a string orchestra. The boys with musical training scored 20 percent higher on the test. A year later, they retested the boys. At that time, some of the orchestra members had dropped out, and some of the non members had joined.
The boys who had continued with their music still scored the highest, and even improved their scores somewhat. The ones who had recently started music showed the greatest improvement in their scores. The boys who dropped out of orchestra, while their scores declined, still did better than the ones who had never played.
The article also mentioned another study, where it was found that the region of the brain involved in verbal memory is larger in adult musicians than in non-musicians.
Study after study has shown that musical training builds neuropathways in the brain that improve cognitive skills, and is especially effective at enhancing early childhood brain development. How many of these studies do we need before the school board realizes that music is a necessity, not a luxury?
With all the focus we’ve seen lately on test scores, instead of focusing on “teaching to a test”, why not focus on giving our children an enhanced capacity to learn and perform that will serve them their whole lives? Music will do that.
That phone number, for anyone who missed it, is 847-2932 to sign a petition to the Board of Education to support and maintain classroom music for all children. I’ll be calling, how about you?
Patti Lemon, Gilroy
Submitted Wednesday, Aug. 6 to ed****@****ic.com
