For children, music is basic to the development of intelligence. Researchers like Frances Rauscher, Ph.D., and Dr. Gordon Shaw from the University of California at Irvine, have shown that the study of music can improve children's academic performance. Scientists at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, held in November 1998 in Los Angeles, heard papers stating that new imaging technology has proved classical musical training during childhood enlarges some parts of the brain.
Children respond to music, even before they are born.
Many mothers play classical music for their infants simply because it calms them. But it helps them in other ways as well. Music is one of the main elements available to assist an infant's mind as it develops and begins to make connections and recognize patterns. As children continue to mature, music remains vital to their development. Because students who take courses in music appreciation and performance show significant increases in test scores measuring both verbal and math skills, music is beginning to make a slow reappearance in the nation's elementary, middle, and high schools.