The aesthetic aspects of music improve our quality of life, deepening our experiences while helping us create closer connections with others.
It’s popular to think of making music as the domain of a few talented individuals. The traditional cost of developing significant musical skills compels many to dismiss the benefits* of music to focus on ‘more practical’ skills, like science, technology, engineering and math. But recent neuroscience studies point to music as the key to reaching a higher standard of child and youth achievement.
A growing body of neuroscience research shows the brain’s ability to learn the language of music is universal, and the special process of developing instrumental music skill increases rates of learning in math, science and reading, increases listening ability, focused attention span, self-discipline, self-confidence and overall interest in learning.
“All children and youth need the above benefits, and the advantage increases if we start the development of musical skills earlier in life.”
Unfortunately, only 5-9% of all students ever develop significant instrumental music skill. The cost of traditional programs is the most limiting factor, followed by the failure of students to remain engaged in the challenging process of learning the language of music and developing their skills.
Recent innovation allows us to combine the best traditional activities with modern tools for a practical, comprehensive strategy that can deliver these benefits to every child and youth, in every community.
The solution provided by Children’s Music Foundation features fun, hands-on, group music classes facilitated by award-winning interactive software and comprehensive teacher guidance. The software assists with presentation and intelligent feedback to the degree that non-specialists can successfully lead the earlier levels. The cost of implementing and sustain this type of quality music program is consistently small compared to traditional strategies. Click here to learn more about The Program
With modest community collaboration and financial support, these quality music programs can be delivered to all children and youth, even those with lower socio-economic status, starting at a young age, and continuing for up to 8 years. Visit our Partner Page to learn about existing programs.
Children’s Music Foundation is challenging community leaders and supporters to follow a few simple steps in order to deliver these benefits to every child and youth, adding years of confidence-building, high-impact development to their lives.
Contact Children’s Music Foundation below to let us know you’re interested, and we’ll help your community create this wonderful, sustainable legacy for your children and youth.
We hope you can take a few minutes to share this message with others in your community.
Yours in music, Children’s Music Foundation International BOD members
* The cognitive benefits due to instrumental music skill development are a result of physical changes in the brain that occur when new neural connections are formed at an accelerated rate, and the advantage is permanent. A person learning to read and play music is performing two challenging activities at the same time: a challenging receptive process (reading and decoding an abstract symbol set – music notation), and a challenging productive process (playing different melodies, rhythms, chords with ten fingers on the piano keyboard).