I believe our schools and communities are loud enough, and want to be sure children know quiet as a part of their life, before tension overwhelms them. The rhythmic quality of music stimulates and activates the lower part of the brain stem systems. The harmonies of music, and the rhythm of these harmonies at times has an emotional response within the body. The melody, and tone color bring direct responses as well as text and language in music from the neo-cortex. Intelligence in the new millennium, I believe, will be judged on the children and families who are able to integrate knowledge and information with a healthy relaxed body, and be able to socially integrate it emotionally.
Music prepares the brain and body for connection.
And we are at the beginning of learning how to ask integrated questions about memory and intelligence. I know from my experience with the Guggenheim education project in Chicago, we were able to improve spelling almost immediately by using music and movement. Not as a gimmick, but as an integrated tool for the mind, voice, and the body to learn simultaneously. I speak of this clearly in my new book. For the past many decades music has been referred to as only art, entertainment, and a thrill.