MUSIC Rx
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Jan's Corner


Articles, Musical Humor, Local Events

 

ARTICLES
Musicians Read Better
West African Xylophones
The Power of Music

MUSICIANS READ BETTER

July 2002

The following are excerpts from two studies: one was conducted in the Albuquerque, New Mexico school system a few years ago. The other was administered to 7500 students enrolled in a medium sized university between 1983 and 1988.
The Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) of 5,154 students from 75 different schools in Albuquerque, NM were divided between those students who participated in instrumental music and those who did not. The results indicated that the instrumental students scored higher in every subject of the CTBS. The most dramatic gains were in the area of language. Students who had played a band instrument for two or more years scored 10 percentile points higher in reading, and 12 percentile points higher in language than did their non-band peers. Students who participated in orchestra for two or more years had reading and language scores even higher. To determine whether or not they were just dealing with the possibility that the "better" students were in band and orchestra, they compared students who had only participated for one year. The students who participated for two years scored 5 to 9 percentile points higher than the students who had only participated for one year. (Robitaille and O'Neill 1981)
The study in which 7,500 university students were administered the Nelson Denny Reading Test revealed that music and music education students had the highest reading scores of any major on campus. These music student's scores were higher than their counterparts majoring in such areas as biology, chemistry, mathematics, and even English.

The implication of these studies is that the study of music notation seems to transfer to traditional language reading in these students. (Wood 1990)

 

 

 

WEST AFRICAN XYLOPHONES

July 2002

The people of Sierra Leone area of West Africa have a unique method of making xylophones. The word "xylophone" means "wood sound" in Greek, so this instrument has wooden bars of graduated lengths on it to make different pitches.

In Sierra Leone hollow gourds with small holes in the sides are placed under the wooden bars. The holes are covered with membranes made from the egg cases of spiders. The membranes add a "buzz" to the sound of the xylophone.

 

 

 

THE POWER OF MUSIC

July 2002

John Armstrong, a multi - works composer of music said, "Music exalts each joy, allays each grief, expels diseases, softens every pain.....". This statement is the heart and soul of music. Music is a state of mind, a different world when you are truly involved in your personal moment of music, you draw yourself away from the craziness of life. You are in complete control. Your instrument doesn't care if you have had a bad hair day, it accepts you and soothes harsh emotions.

Learning each piece of music is a journey. The beginning is challenging, then there is a turning point where it all makes sense. The beauty of the piece shines through. The satisfaction that comes when you have mastered a piece is reason enough to learn it. You may also apply this process to life. Proceeding down a path of mastery of your instrument and your chosen music will shape you into a person who doesn't quit when things get rough.

On bad days, try picking up your instrument even though there may be thunderclouds above your head. Play something that calls forth immense emotion for you, and notice how you reemerge with a feeling of relief. Your music can be a "life saver", and when you discover this you may levitate above everything for thirty minutes a day.