Music education hits the right note
There is no disputing the value of music to children. Research shows music study increases all areas of a child's intellectual development as well as making them happy.
This confirms what musicians have known throughout the ages that music provides pleasure for people of any age. It does this by tapping directly into our innate pleasure systems and stimulating the brain's opiad and dopamine circuits.
It is not surprising then that the recent National Review of School Music Education, released in November last year, found that "music education is valuable and essential for all Australian school students".
It is also no coincidence that Queenslanders are making a big splash on the world's music scenes.
Whether it's Savage Garden, George, Keith Urban, The Ten Tenors, Powderfinger, The Go-betweens or Pete Murray, Queensland names are up in lights and their training ground is Queensland schools.
On a national scale, a significant 30 per cent of musicians in the Australian Youth Orchestra come from Queensland.
"Queensland 's school music education program is quite famous and acclaimed, " Queensland Orchestra CEO Claire Booth says.
"The music program ensures there are plenty of people feeding into the Conservatorium and other institutions but it also helps produce an appreciation for music that we see in our audiences," Ms Booth says.
As Associate Professor Huib Schippers from Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University says, "Queensland is strikingly visible on the national and international music scene."
"The recent national report on the state of music education in Australia has made clear once again, Queensland is and deserves to be the envy of all states and territories for its music in schools program.
"But there is no need for complacency. The world of music is in constant change, " Professor Schippers says.
Music is a mandatory subject for students in Years 1 —7 and there is a strong emphasis on music education across all school sectors state, Catholic and Independent.
Department of Education and the Arts Senior Education Officer (The Arts) Mike Tyler says, "Queensland state schools' instrumental music program is the most extensive in Australia and one of the largest under a single authority in the world.
"We used to think that it was always the smart kids that played music. We now know there is evidence that music makes kids smarter.
"Music is one of the few things, some people say the only thing, to engage the left and right brain simultaneously.
"It has also been found that learning a musical instrument by the age of 12 will actually make a part of a child's brain larger, in particular the left temporal region. This has been linked with a better verbal memory and vocabulary when they are adults.
"And research carried out in Canada involving six-year-olds reports that music study assists children's intellectual development, increasing their IQ in all areas of an IQ test."
The state's Independent schools and Catholic schools also have their own excellent music programs.
"In Catholic Education we recognise the importance of music education as an integral part of the rich connections between the traditions of the Church and its educational mission," Catholic Education Communications and Marketing Manager (Brisbane) Darrin Davies says.
"Music education supports the development of the student their imagination, self-expression and their ability to share in the creativity of others."
Association of Independent Schools of Queensland Executive Director, Dr John Roulston, says Independent schools have a long music tradition.
"An emphasis on music education is an important aspect in the development of the whole child, " Dr Roulston says.
"This opens paths to new and bold opportunities, and creates life-changing experiences."
Tips for parents
- All children can benefit from music
- Attend school concerts and other school performances to support your child
- Encourage your child to sing and play for you
- Take your child to musical events classical, rock, country, world music
- Encourage your child to practise regularly (5 —6 times a week is ideal)
- Provide a quiet place and time for your child to practise at home
Did you know?
- Babies are born with perfect pitch it's how they recognise their mother's voice and learn language
- A Swiss study of 1200 children showed how playing music improved children's reading and verbal skills by improving concentration, memory and self- expression
- A Hong Kong study found that adults who had music training before the age of 12 years were better able to recall spoken words than adults who had little or no training in music
- A US study discovered that children aged 5 —7 years who had been lagging behind in their school performance had caught up with their peers in reading and were ahead of them in maths after just seven months of music lessons
- Listening to music at any age taps directly into our innate pleasure systems, activating euphoria-inducing brain regions
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