The Power of Creating Music
Why Learning and Playing Music is Crucial for Adults
“Both music and language are complex communication systems. Whether music was an evolutionary precursor to language or merely a byproduct of cognitive faculties that developed to support language, music is pervasive across human cultures and throughout history.”
The Rwandan Prescription for Depression: Sun, drum, dance, community
“We had a lot of trouble with western mental health workers who came here immediately after the genocide and we had to ask some of them to leave.”
Music Lessons - Absolute Best Thing Your Parents Ever Did for You
If your parents ever submitted you to regular music lessons as a kid, you probably got in a fight with them once or twice about it. Maybe you didn't want to go; maybe you didn't like practicing. But we have some bad news: They were right. It turns out that all those endless major scale exercises and repetitions of ‘Chopsticks’ had some incredible effects on our minds.
Healing Benefits of Music for All Ages
“We feel strongly that abundant health benefits can be achieved by older adults who learn to make music in a supportive, socially enjoyable setting. We are just beginning to understand the positive effects of making music on our bodies and our physical health.” - Dr. Frederick Tims, principal investigator for the Music Making And Wellness Research Project and professor and chair of Music Therapy at Michigan State University.
Proven Research on the Importance of Music Education
“A music-rich experience for children of singing, listening and moving is really bringing a very serious benefit to children as they progress into more formal learning,” says Mary Luehrisen, executive director of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation, a not-for-profit association that promotes the benefits of making music.