The Fifth Beatle, or Music Education Begins at Home!

As you might expect, I’m an enthusiastic proponent of music education in all stages of life, starting in early childhood and continuing as long as a person has life left in ’em. An early start confers many advantages: in addition to the sheer joy and fun that it can bring, involvement in music is believed by many professionals in education and the neurosciences to boost brain development and aid in learning. (Here are just a couple of sources on the topic, among many: PE and Music for Higher Test Scores, Music and the Brain.) I believe it helps with socialization and cooperation as well, if kids have a chance to participate in musical group activities, like singing in a choir or playing in a band.

And though it may not be discussed as often in child development circles, I believe that music is also a vitally important tool for helping children connect to our shared cultural heritage. Opportunites for making this connection abound in our everyday lives, especially in music-loving households.

Click Mr. Readmore for a story of how one of those opportunities arose for me recently! 😉