Bridging Music Neuroscience Evidence to Music Therapy Best Practice in the Early Childhood Classroom: Implications for Using Rhythm to Increase Attention and Learning

The influence of music on human behavior has been evident since the dawn of primitive societies (Mithen, 2007). The functions of music in human society have been as entertainment and in the context of medicine, religious rituals, and social gatherings (Merriam, 1964; Ratei, 2008). Even socio-historical examinations of the lives of famous scientists reveal vital influences of music. Albert Einstein, the most famous physicist of 20th century once described his deep love of music: "If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music."Not only did Einstein love music but he also described music as an extension of his thinking process, a method of allowing the subconscious to solve difficult problems (Hansen, 2001). The effect of rhythm on cognitive processes in humans has also become increasingly recognized by researchers (Ratei, 2010; Thaut, 2005; Zentner & Eerola, 2010). Consequently, a confluence of educators, music therapists, and music neuroscientists is forging a way for investigations that explore how music can enhance students' academic achievement in educational settings.Some of the more interesting music neuroscience findings indicate that rhythm-based protocols effect attention with adults (Thaut et al., 2009) and that very young children also are engaged more when they listen to steady beats (Zentner & Eerola, 2010). These findings are consistent with literature on music therapy best practice in classrooms that show that rhythm is used to engage children during academic lessons (Humpal & Colwell, 2006). The findings from these two lines of research suggest a potential for further exploration into the relationship between rhythm and learning.The evidence on the effect of rhythm on brain processes and learning has the potential to impact current practice in music therapy and education in a positive way. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to show how these two lines of research can promote development of innovative rhythmbased teaching practices in the classroom. This purpose will be accomplished by providing information to (a) heighten awareness of the effect of rhythm on attention behaviors, (b) demonstrate how the current evidence found in the music neuroscience research on attention can potentially inform and promote more early childhood music therapy research, (c) explain the need to develop, define, and test rhythm-based protocols to promote increased attentive behaviors and learning in the early childhood classroom, and (d) provide examples of how music-based protocols have been shown to effect improved early literacy and how specific rhythm-based protocols can have the potential to improve early mathematics learning.Music Neuroscience ResearchLeading researchers in music neuroscience are providing preliminary evidence on how music and rhythm can improve brain process by affecting various brain structures (Bengtsson, 2008; Conway, Pisoni, & Kronenberger, 2009; Ratei, 2009, Thaut, 2005). These discoveries have led to inquiry into how rhythm optimizes increased attention behaviors for adults during group rehabilitation therapy settings (Thaut, 2005; Thaut et al., 2009). The evidence is also emerging on what brain structures are affected when humans listen to rhythmic stimuli such as steady beat (Grahn & Brett, 2007; Ratei, 2008; Zentner & Eerola, 201 0). As more research evidence on how the brain of a young child responds to rhythm emerges, this knowledge has the potential to inform us on how rhythm affects attention in young children.The idea that steady beat has a significant physiological effect on brain processes is evident in the music therapy research area of Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT). For over 15 years, Dr. Michael Thaut and colleagues have studied how rhythm applied in a systematic manner can optimize brain functions. He found that patients with sensorimotor deficits who typically walked with an uneven gait would instantaneously synchronize their steps to a rhythmic steady beat stimulus (Thaut et al. …