Girls Rule! Benefits Of Music Education For Your Child by Ladon Brumfield Executive Director

Also included in this article:

2009 Summer Music Programs for Youth

Over the years, documented studies have confirmed the benefits of music education on new borns and children.

Studies of Music Learning Benefits
Music education benefits include everything from changing a students' mood to helping them solve math problems. In general, it helps a student become successful in the school environment.
Music has immediate effects on brain activity which scientists are still studying today.

For example, a study was done that involved second graders and math. In this study, the school kids were divided into two groups. One group used newly-designed math software to augment their mathematical skills.

The other group also used this software but in addition the kids in this group received piano keyboard training. What are the results?

Both groups were tested and the second group of students scored twenty-seven percent higher on the math exam than the first group, which seem to show the positive effects of combining music teaching into other studies.

Other Studies Demonstrate The Positive Effects Of Music
Numerous studies have shown that learning and exposure to music results in improved communication between students. Fights and arguments are reduced. Also students who play in school bands are less likely to use tobacco and alcohol.

Benefits of music education also include enhancing interpersonal communication skills. This result has also been proven by some of the many studies done throughout the years.

A student who is having difficulty concentrating may find it easier when music classes has been added to the curriculum. Playing music helps a student become more self-disciplined and able to control their behavior better, because it provides an acceptable form of self expression.

If students learn to study music successfully they can use the same method to help them study in other classes. They will find it easier to understand instructions. Added benefits of music education include increasing a child's creativity and helping him or her learn to cooperate with other students. Their social interaction skills improve after playing music together in a group.

In newborns, exposure to music is proven to help develop intelligence. Exposure to classical music helps develop reasoning and language skills in children when begun at an early age. In older children, music education helps them extend their knowledge of the world around them. Music education give children an avenue to contribute to society, which in turn helps them in life. They are more likely to become well-rounded individuals.

Conclusion
Today, no school education curriculum can be considered complete with giving students the opportunity to learn music.


Girls Rule! families,

Below, I have listed some great music camps for students to take advantage of over the summer to enrich their musical experiences. I have listed them in order of cost. For more information or to download an application check out their websites.

District 97 Music Camp
Check the School Daze Summer School Packet http://www.op97.org/

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, WI
Percussion Camp: August 2nd-7th
Cost: $415 includes room & board
Website: http://camps.uww.edu/

Eastern Illinois University – Charleston
Junior Band Camp: July 12th-18th
Cost: $425Jazz
Camp: July 19th-25th Cost: $440
Website: www.eiu.edu/music

ISU Junior Band Camp – Bloomington/Normal
July 12th – 18th
Cost: $450 includes room & board
Website: www.bands.ilstu.edu/events/junior-high-camp.shtml

NIU Jazz Camp – Dekalb (8th graders or older that have graduated)
July 19th-24th
Cost: $445-$505 includes room & board
Website: www.niu.edu/extprograms/Summer/JazzCamp.shtml

Illinois State Youth Music Camp (ISYM) – University of Illinois – Champaign/Urbana
Jr. Band Camp: June 21st-27th Cost: $595
Jazz Camp: July 5th-11th includes room & board
Website: www.music.uiuc.edu/ISYM

Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp – Twin Lakes, MI (2 Weeks)
Session 1: July 1st-12th
Session 2: July 15th – July 26th
Session 3: July 29th-August 9th
Session 4: August 12th-23rdCost: $1,025 (base price) includes room & board
Website: http://www.bluelake.org/

Interlochen Camp- Interlochen, MI (3 Weeks)Jr. Division Band
Session 1: June 21st – July 4th
Session 2: July 5th – July 18th
Session 3: July 19th – August 3rd
Cost: $4,185 includes room & board
Website: www.interlochen.org/camp

Ladon Brumfield
Executive Director
http://www.girlz-rule.org/
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