ECE Brain Research receives Grammy Funding
So did Bruce Springsteen, Count Basie and k.d. lang.
Now Laurel Trainor has a Grammy award, too.
Hers is not the traditional, gold-plated, miniature gramophone, but a cheque in the amount of $39,800. And she didn’t have to produce a movie soundtrack or sing an outstanding song to get it.
The director of the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind is one of only 22 successful applicants for a 2008 grant from the Grammy Foundation in California, which received 102 applications for a share of $600,000 in disbursements.
She and her research team will use the money to finance a study of how — or whether — babies benefit from early music education. The project is unique because it involves a younger than usual study group — six-month-old infants — and their parents, and will not be conducted in the precisely controlled environment of Mac’s auditory labs.
Starting in the fall, Trainor’s team, which includes research partner and PhD student David Gerry, will recruit 80 babies from the Wesley Ontario Early Years Centre and Today’s Family Ontario Early Years Centre, which serve the city’s west and Mountain ridings respectively.
After a round of pre-testing, they will start taking weekly classes at their centres with a Suzuki early childhood education teacher. When the babies reach the ripe old age of one, the lessons will end and the “students” will be retested.
Trainor hopes to establish that exposing them to Suzuki ECE music lessons can improve their perceptual, cognitive and social development.
There are no expectations of baby virtuosos tinkling the ivories or tootling the flute.
The Suzuki ECE program, developed 15 years ago by Canadian Dorothy Jones, uses percussion instruments, nursery rhymes, finger play, action songs and storytelling to help little people develop such skills as rhythm, pitch, memory, observation, listening, fine and gross motor co-ordination.
“The younger children don’t play violins,” smiles Trainor, a professor in Mac’s department of psychology, neuroscience and behaviour. “There’s a lot of singing, clapping, xylophones.”
The project began when Today’s Family staff contacted the Music and the Mind institute for advice on setting up music programs for their young charges.
Trainor and Gerry saw a perfect opportunity for testing the theory that music training at a very early age could have long-lasting benefits. Although that hypothesis in itself is not news, the researchers wanted to reach a population that wouldn’t ordinarily be exposed to music lessons, especially expensive classes such as Suzuki.
After six months, Trainor’s team will use a variety of methods to measure the difference between infants who were in the study and those who weren’t.
While all of the teaching and some of the testing will be conducted in the class environment, babies will have to attend Trainor’s lab at Mac for an electroencephalogram (EEG). They’ll be outfitted with a fetching net bonnet consisting of 128 electrodes, which are attached to the scalp to record brain activity.
The results will show whether the babies have developed an aesthetic response that allows them to distinguish pleasant musical sounds from discordant ones, and melodies played with no expression from those with variations in pitch, timing and expression.
Trainor plans to gauge the infants’ cognitive development by looking at their early language skills.
“I suspect that language development will be accelerated in kids with music training,” says Trainor, who plays principal flute with Symphony Hamilton. “Studies show that music training increases cognitive development in all other areas and also trains the attentional system.”
She’ll also look at the social interactions of the babies and how they are taking cues from each other, observing the structure of activities, and attempting to mimic behaviour.
Laurel Brydges, of Today’s Child, says the centre is “totally excited” about the partnership with Trainor’s researchers. The Ontario Early Years Centres are all about providing children with the best opportunities for life, she says, and the Suzuki training will only enhance their healthy development.
“The more assets a child has, the more they stay out of trouble,” says Brydges. “It’s going to be interesting.”
Brydges says she expects the project will show there is a big difference when an infant receives live music training from a professional instructor as opposed to just listening to a tape.
If the findings support Trainor’s hypothesis, she will try to get ongoing government and private support to keep the project going, ideally expanding it to older children and poor neighbourhoods.
The Grammy Foundation, part of whose mandate is music education, “is a perfect fit,” says Trainor, but $40,000 is the maximum grant it bestows.
“We sure could have used more, but we’ll manage. If we find (the results) quite beneficial, we will look for donors to keep it going independent of research.”
905-526-4689
Cello newsletter Term 1, 2010
Dear Students and families,
Welcome to the start of a new school year! I hope you’ve all enjoyed a wonderful holiday, especially the lovely summer weather during December and January (which has often been quite wet in past years) but with some heavy rain at the moment breaking the drought.
Cello lessons are starting this coming week, and I’m planning on keeping the timetable very much the same as last year with cello group lessons on Thursday afternoons (advanced group 4.00pm-4.45pm and Book 1 group 5.10pm-6.00pm) at Wesley church small hall and individual lessons at my home. Please let me know as soon as possible should the time for you individual lesson have to be adjusted. New students wishing to start may contact me to arrange a suitable time to meet.
It may be possible this year to form some cello ensemble groups of school-aged students for participation in the July Arts Festival and/or other festivals later in the year. I will contact the students involved individually.
I hope to run another Tiny Twinklers Suzuki ECE music class this term, so if you know anyone who would be interested, please let them know to contact me!
I am looking forward to another year of working with all my wonderful students. I’ve been very impressed with the progress of each student as well as your dedication, hard work, participation and enjoyment of the lessons, concerts and graduations. An important part of the musical journey is encouraging and supporting each other in your individual development – you are all different in the way you learn and express yourselves! Each person has different strengths: learning a musical instrument is a very broad and satisfying way of exploring one’s creativity, thought processes, physical co-ordination and many other skills. Music is, and has been through the ages, a very strong force to uplift and inspire people and for this reason I feel very privileged to be a classical music teacher.
I am in the process of creating a cello blog on my studio website, which you are welcome to visit. This is a new journey for me! The website is www.thereseahlers.com, Please also see my revised schedule for cello lesson payments. My fee structure remains the same since my return to Tauranga in 2008, but I am re-introducing the option of 12 equal monthly instalments. This payment option (as an automatic bank transfer at the start of the month, which you can arrange with online banking or visiting your branch) has been a very convenient arrangement for most families in the past, as well as for me.
Looking forward to seeing you all this coming week!
Therèse Ahlers
Benefits of Preschool Music
Research Studies Point to the Benefits of Preschool Music Programs
By Groshan Fabiola
Many different research studies lead to the same conclusion – preschool music programs help to build a solid foundation for lifelong learning and a host of other beneficial developments in an individual’s brain. Programs such as the Kindermusik curriculum have been shown to help children develop early literacy and language skills, acquire reasoning and early math skills, increase self control and cultivate a lifelong music appreciation. All of these skills that are made possible through preschool educational music can contribute to a greater chance of success and personal fulfillment in life.
One study that points to the benefits of preschool music programs is The Mozart Effect by Don Campbell. During this study, Mr. Campbell traced neurological development during childhood. He found that before any major spurt of neural integration in the brain during the elementary school years, learning occurred through movement and quick emotional associations. Since educational programs such as the Kindermusik curriculum include a great deal of music and movement, such programs are clearly valuable during the youngest years of a child’s life.
Campbell’s found that the brain has begun to fuse with the body through marching, dancing, and developing a sense of physical rhythm by the tender age of two. When children are exposed to preschool educational music they are able to better develop the neural coding that will assist them throughout their lives. And while music and movement for children and adults is always beneficial at any age, it is clear that starting early and getting kids into music when they are just toddlers will provide the most benefits.
The benefits of music and movement for children have been proven scientifically, but any parent can tell just from the light in their child’s eyes that it is doing something positive. Having music around the house, in the car and in the classroom is fun and educational for everyone.
Preschool Music
Give Your Kids a Head Start With Preschool Music Programs
By Groshan Fabiola
One of the best ways to give your child a head start and encourage their mental development is with preschool music programs. There are few more positive things than music and movement for children, whether it is singing along with the words of “Wheels on the Bus” or dancing to the family’s favorite records. Teaching preschool music may seem like just another way to play, but it actually helps to develop better coordination and language skills in children. And you can start before they even get into preschool.
The leading preschool music programs allow parents and children aged seven and under to sing, dance and make music together in a way that will encourage mental development, learning skills and an appreciation for music that will last a lifetime. Coursework such as the Kindermusik curriculum also allows parents to have a better understanding of how their children’s brains develop so they can incorporate learning activities into their everyday routine. And getting involved in music with your kids is also just plain fun.
There are countless studies that show the positive impact of music and movement for children at an early age. Teaching preschool music has a positive impact on a child’s ability to learn in preschool, but the practice with making and responding to music also helps with necessary basic skills like operating scissors and kicking a ball. Plus, curricula such as the Kindermusik curriculum has been shown to positively affect children’s self esteem and sense of self expression. When children make music together it also helps them develop social skills and become better team players.
There are many benefits to getting your kids in preschool music programs. Fortunately, it’s easy for parents to get involved too, and it is fun for the whole family to infuse a little more singing and dancing into their lives.
Music for Babies
Baby Music Class Boosts Intelligence
By Groshan Fabiola
You may be surprised at the myriad of benefits that a music class for kids has to offer. At first glance, it might seem like any other extracurricular activity; a fun break from the day for your child, and some much needed respite for you, as well! However, Kindermusik is not like most activities for children. It is so much more than just keeping them busy during the day, and parents participate, as well.
Before you write off baby music class as just another modern gimmick, consider the facts: from the time a child is born until about age seven, the brain is developing with enormous leaps and bounds every day. New synapses are being created with ease, which means that this is the best time for a child to learn just about anything! Often, the things that are learned at this time in a child’s life become deeply rooted in the mental, psychological and emotional makeup of the brain. Having a regularly scheduled time for music on a daily and weekly basis helps a child build a variety of skill sets that parents may not even be aware of. It makes sense that strength in pattern cognition and rhythm are developed by musical exposure. However, did you know that self-disciplinary skills such as self-control and concentration are improved with a toddler music class? Also, literary capacity is greatly affected by musical exposure. Numerous studies show that a child’s ability to read, write and abstractly reason are improved by music classes. In addition, they are far more likely to excel in mathematics and reasoning. Really, in many ways, music class for kids bolster every aspect of intelligence and self-confidence in a child. Even social skills are strengthened by the addition of music.
You may think that all of this is wonderful, but speculate as to why parents have to be included in Kindermusik classes. The reasons are simple: additional studies show that with parent involvement and encouragement, a child has even more of a capacity to develope high intelligence and confidence. This is generally true for a child coming from any poverty level, ethnic background or a single-parent household. With parent participation, a child can be encouraged and stimulated by conversation about what he or she has learned, even after class has ended. With the help of CD’s and books supplementing music classes, parents can refresh a child’s memory and further learning outside the classroom. Discussions and mutual participation in Kindermusik can be great bonding time.