Why Music?

Are you interested in understanding the value a quality, musical education can provide?

This page provides third-party resources related to music and child/youth development. Music education can positively affect brain development, social cognition, and overall wellbeing.

Contact me if you’d like to schedule lessons for you or a family member.

Conversation: Brain scans of Philly jazz musicians reveal secrets to reaching creative flow

Flow, or being “in the zone,” is a state of amped-up creativity, enhanced productivity and blissful consciousness that, some psychologists believe, is also the secret to happiness. It’s considered the brain’s fast track to success in business, the arts or any other field.

Inverse: Music gives the brain a crucial connective advantage

Whether it's singing do-re-mi or strumming a guitar, making music is one of the best ways to stimulate a young mind.

Even if children abandon their music lessons when they hit their angsty teen years, cognitive neuroscientists say cultivating musical ability early on has lifelong benefits. Playing music can help children read better, store memories, and pronounce different languages.

NLM: How musical training affects cognitive development: rhythm, reward and other modulating variables

Music is also known to have a powerful emotional impact. In a social context, making music in a group has been suggested to increase communication, coordination, cooperation and even empathy between in-group members (Koelsch, 2010). Therefore, it could easily be conceived how musical training could have a positive impact on the well-being and social development of children and adults.