HOW MUSIC MOVES US

EDUCATION HOW MUSIC MOVE US: IVING LEARNING UPWARD OBILITY G M

By Ashley Johnson Lam

Director of Education Albert Einstein. Condoleeza Rice. Neil Armstrong. Bill Clinton. It might sound like the beginning of a bad joke, but each of these brilliant and successful people studied music. Einstein noodled abstractly at the piano while working on his Theory of Relativity. Former U.S. Secretary of State and trained concert pianist Condoleeza Rice incorporated performance into her diplomatic approach. And Neil Armstrong and President Clinton took grit and persistence developed through musical studies in their youth to the moon and Oval Office.

Research indicates music education is one of the most comprehensive, powerful modes of academic learning and real-world skills development. Schools with music programs graduate at a rate of more than 90% compared to those without, logging less than a 73% graduation rate. And then there’s the fact that music majors make up the highest percentage of medical school acceptances – a whopping 66%. The magic of music education is not only learning to sing the part or play the instrument. It also lies in the complex composition of academic priming, social-emotional nourishment, and real-life application. Learning to play or sing music is one of the most profound brain activities we can take part in, engaging our sensory, cognitive, motor, emotional, and reward systems, which are the driving forces behind all learning. The acquisition of musical skills indicates a child’s readiness to learn to read, the ability to keep steady beat signals the capacity for literacy, and learning to read musical notation activates the exact phonological mechanisms we use to learn to read words. Perhaps its best-known contribution to success, music taps into a unique primal bond to develop social-emotional learning or the self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills needed for maturation and socialization. When experienced with others, music fosters prosocial behavior, such as empathy and helping, as found in a 2018 study from the University of Toronto. And in homes of budding musicians, music classrooms, and rehearsals, including Opera Carolina’s Youth Academy programs, parents and teachers bear witness to regular musical practice shaping the sense of agency and well-being in students as they develop competency, relatedness, and autonomy at the hands of their instruments and voices.

Given the cognitive empowerment and cultivation offered, it’s no wonder engaging in consistent music learning translates to real-life skills development that makes for successful people. Einstein was known to be a genius, but perhaps his abstract reasoning, creative thinking, and problem-solving abilities were first honed at the piano and violin and then applied to quantum mechanics. The empathy, communication, and collaboration required for diplomacy were undoubtedly developed and fine-tuned at the keys of Condoleeza Rice’s piano and President Clinton’s saxophone. And what better personification of perseverance and patience than Neil Armstrong? The moon may seem a daunting mission, but eighty-eight keys for only ten fingers is a worthy match.

Opera Carolina Youth AcademY

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR ALL STAGES OF LIFE

As Opera Carolina’s instructional arm, the Youth Academy offers regional 3rd-12th graders foundational and immersive training that hones voices and cultivates life and learning skills, with equitable access at the core of our mission.

ACADEMY CHORUS

Our musical family for 3rd-7th graders where learning, laughing, and lots of music-making help students:

• Learn fundamental singing skills & find their own voice • Develop their sense of pitch, rhythm & confidence • Explore foreign languages & diverse cultures • Learn diligence & dedication • Make new friends & lasting bonds

LEARN MORE OR ENROLL YOUR STUDENT!

OperaCarolina.org/youth Education@operacarolina.org