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Music: The elegant language

Little by little as you grow up you feel more ashamed by the hobby that you have

acquired since you were a child. Others around you are influenced to tell you that what

you are doing is not cool, and does not match their standards, only because the people

associated with it do not share common interests in humor, activities, or social habits.

Why is such a beautiful yet not so hard to learn skill so frowned upon in our society here

in the West. It is so difficult for districts to maintain funding for music programs, it is seen

as a luxury, when I believe our children should be much, much more exposed to music

here in the United States. In Europe and Asia children who learn to play music are

praised in their schools and by their parents and are looked upon as smart children who

have taken the opportunity to grasp this ability of learning an entire new language. But

why do we frown upon it here in the US? Why is it looked at as something that we can

make fun of? Music has been a part of human culture for thousands of years and is an

incredibly potent form of expression. Nevertheless, despite its widespread acceptance,

music still carries a bad reputation in some circles. Some people may view certain

music genres as being associated with specific negative behaviors or stereotypes, such

as heavy metal being associated with aggression or hip-hop being associated with drug

use. As an example, students who participate in school music activities will be

associated with "nerds, losers". Additionally, people who enjoy listening to particular

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genres of music may face criticism, especially if they are perceived as being outside of

the mainstream.

Fortunately, there are ways to counter this stigma and spread the word about

music's numerous advantages. How does music really help us? Musical intelligence is

the ability to distinguish between pitch, rhythm, timbre and tone. This intelligence

enables us to recognize, create, reproduce and reflect on music, as evidenced by

composers, conductors, musicians, singers and sensitive listeners. Interestingly, there is

often an effective connection between music and emotions; mathematical and musical

intelligences may share common thought processes. Young adults with this intelligence

usually sing or drum on their own. They are usually quite aware of sounds that others

may miss (Vital). Having conversations about the benefits of music and how it can

improve our lives is one way to do this. The emotional and psychological advantages of

listening to music, such as stress relief, mood enhancement, and heightened feelings of

interpersonal connection, can be discussed in this context. It can also include

highlighting the social and cultural importance of music, particularly in terms of how it

fosters understanding between various groups and brings people together. In the end,

we can help to remove the unfavorable stigma that surrounds music by highlighting its

many benefits and promoting its positive aspects. Our lives can be improved in

countless ways by music, from mental health to fostering a sense of belonging and

shared identity. By valuing and appreciating the transformative power of this amazing

art form, we can contribute to the development of a more upbeat and inclusive society

by celebrating and embracing music in all of its forms. So I ask myself, how can access

to music programs elevate multiple intelligences in children?

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 We are all born with more neurons than we need. Typically around the age of 8,

our brains undergo a major neuronal cleanup, removing all unnecessary neurons,

making it easier for younger children to learn language and music. Since 2006, two UCF

professors – neuroscientist Kiminobu Sugaya and world-renowned violinist Ayako

Yonetani – have taught one of the most popular courses in The Burnett Honors College.

"Music and the Brain" explores how music affects brain function and human behavior,

including reducing symptoms of stress, pain and depression, as well as cognitive and

motor skills, spatial and temporal learning, and neurogenesis, which is the brain's ability

to produce . neurons. . Sugaya and Yonetani teach how people with neurodegenerative

diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's respond positively to music. “Usually in

the late stages, Alzheimer’s patients are unresponsive,” Sugaya says. “But once you put

in the headphones that play [their favorite] music, their eyes light up. They start moving

and sometimes singing. The effect lasts maybe 10 minutes or so even after you turn off

the music.” This can be seen on an MRI, where “lots of different parts of the brain light

up,” he says. We sat down with the professors, who are also husband and wife, and

asked them to explain which parts of the brain are activated by music (Yonetani). Music

and its effects on memory have been hotly debated in the scientific world, but scientists

now have evidence that music and language processing, especially remembering

information, rely on some of the same brain systems. Researchers have also found

evidence to suggest that the music we hear as teenagers has a greater emotional

connection with our brains than anything else we listen to as adults. This idea of ​musical

nostalgia is a fun exercise for anyone, but it has the greatest impact on people who

suffer from memory loss, including those with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. “Music

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is an important part of our physical and emotional well-being, ever since we were babies

in our mother’s womb listening to her heartbeat and breathing rhythms.” – Lead clinical

psychologist of Austria General, Franz Wendtner (Edwards).

My mentor Babak Sabetian has been in my life for about 5-6 years now. His

expertise in music and the violin dates back to when he was a small child in the streets

of Tehran, Iran, and he would play for change on the sides of the streets. “Music has

been a passion of mine since I learned what it was”, “I would play up to 7 hours a day

as a child, playing music was looked upon as something to be proud of in Iran, we all

knew we had to play music, it was an unspoken expectation, one that would ultimately

benefit us all”. “There would be days where I felt everything in my life was against me,

as a young child, that felt very overwhelming, but music was my only outlet to letting go

of what I endured everyday”. Life - especially life with young children - can often feel

busy and busy. Adults usually want to name the big feeling and then move on. One of

the great benefits of music is that it provides a safe and reliable place to feel your

emotions. “When we are afraid, sad, or really happy, we can invite music in,” said Jenn

Horak-Holt, owner and director of Pied Piper Studios, a community learning hub

focused on filling families’ lives with music and creating vibrant early childhood

experiences (Hornbaker). Babak has taken the violin and made it his lifelong career to

teach students and to hold events for them to show the talents that they have learned.

He has been playing for 50 years and says he will play until his final day. Music ignites

all areas of a child's development and schooling skills, especially language learning and

reading. Learning to play an instrument can improve your math skills and even improve

your school grades. When I asked Mr. Sabetian how music affected his childhood, he

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told me; “It was the only way I could make money, my family was not the wealthiest and

I certainly wouldn't work enough with school to provide money, but the people in the

streets of iran viewed it as a sign of discipline and talent, to be able to play instrument,

so they would drop me money when they walked by. I wish the same dedication for the

American schools, increase funding for music programs across the country, and

incorporate it into our curriculum”. Studying music gives students the opportunity to

experience different cultures. The use of songs and games in foreign languages ​is very

common in early music education. Students learn how other children play and compare

this information to their own lives. In addition, the student develops an understanding of

other cultures, which leads to a beautiful acceptance of others. Students understand

that recognizing differences is good and creates greater respect for others (Martin). Mr

Sabetian has brought that dedication and love for music into my life for the last 6 years,

and his words have been monumental in my life in music. They have helped me counter

every bit of judgment I've received from friends and strangers at school.

It is good for heart health. Studies have shown that blood flows more easily

during music. It can also slow heart rate, lower blood pressure, lower cortisol (the stress

hormone) and increase serotonin and endorphin levels in the blood. It lifts the spirits.

Music can increase the production of the hormone dopamine in the brain. This

increased production of dopamine helps relieve anxiety and depression. Music is

directly processed by the amygdala, which is the part of the brain associated with mood

and emotions. It reduces stress. Research has shown that listening to music can relieve

stress by triggering biochemical stress-reducing substances. It relieves the symptoms of

depression. When you're feeling down, music can cheer you up—just like exercise. It

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stimulates memories. There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease or dementia, but music

therapy has been shown to alleviate some of its symptoms. Music therapy can be used

to relax an agitated patient, improve mood and open communication (Leggieri).

To build on my experience with the negative stigma around music and to gain

insight from an adults perspective, I chose to interview a music teacher that I once had

as a child at Gregory gardens elementary school, their former music teacher, Mrs Josie

Bromely. Mrs Bromely spent a lot of time in college taking music classes and was a

woodwinds player, she was our instrumental music teacher through my 3rd-5th grade

years. I asked Mrs Bromely what she had noticed while teaching music at the

elementary level, where kids were more judgemental and without filters. “Music was not

optional when I taught it at Gregory Gardens, we had a 30 minute mandatory class

every Tuesday, meaning ALL the kids would come to learn an instrument.” “You could

always see the higher reputation and “cooler” kids giving judgmental and disgusted

looks when children were heavily invested in the music”. “Kids had already been

exposed to phones, social media, and stereotypes at the later grades of elementary.”

The new AEDP report reveals that, while 92 percent of students in U.S. public schools

have access to music education in school, 3,609,698* students do not have that same

opportunity (Warren). What Mrs Bromely was telling me made me think of my personal

experience at Gregory Gardens, however, I don't believe it had anything to do with the

school. Being one of the more advanced children, with more musical experience at that

age, I would always assist Mrs Bromely with musical information regarding string

instruments, since she was a woodwinds player. I remember some kids snickering, and

even calling me a nerd after class. I was always unphased and unbothered, to this day, I

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laugh when I think about it. Even in middle school, with social media becoming ever so

present in our lives, the amount of judgment that I and fellow music members received

from kids who believed they were too good to be seen in a band, as if that was a bad

thing. Many times, I had friends approach me and suggest that I not take music in high

school, because of the fact that I would “be laughed at.” Even while writing this, I've

stopped to ask why this talent is so beautiful and accessible around us, especially in a

country where we have resources that many do not have. I will forever keep music into

my life, but additionally, I will make sure I inspire those around me to continue it as well.

I then asked Mrs. Bromely, “After seeing the things that you've seen, what do you think

can help these children sustain music in their life or at least not spread hate for it?” She

responded with; “Not many children started music at a very young age like you,

someone who has been exposed for their entire childhood will probably be more likely

to stick with it regardless of the negative responses, or even defend music.” “If more

children began music before the end of elementary or start of middle school, they'd go

to further extents to defend what they've been practicing their entire lives.” According to

the most recent federal data, a majority of students in the U.S. have access to music

education as part of their school day, but there are approximately 7,000 schools without

music programs that are predominantly in school districts that serve black, immigrant

and low-income student populations. What we should be focusing on as a community is

to encourage music as one of the hobbies that kids can have at extremely young ages

like 5-7. This way, children will be able to develop affection for this hobby, instead of

seeing it as a chore that has to be done because the teachers forced you to. Our

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districts, including the one I attend, have been cutting the funding for music programs

and have now cut the 4th grade music program altogether.

According to new results of a five-year study by USC neuroscientists, music

education appears to speed up brain growth in young children, particularly in the

regions of the brain responsible for processing sound, language development, voice

perception, and reading skills. In order to investigate the effects of music education on

children's social, emotional, and cognitive development, the USC Brain and Creativity

Institute (BCI) collaborated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and the

Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) to launch a five-year study in 2012. These preliminary

study findings, which were just released in the journal Developmental Cognitive

Neuroscience, show the value of music instruction at a time when many schools around

the country are either cutting back on or eliminating their music and arts programs.

According to the study, learning music accelerates the maturation and improves the

functionality of the auditory system in the brain (Medzerian). “We are broadly interested

in the impact of music training on cognitive, socio-emotional and brain development of

children,” said Assal Habibi, the study’s lead author and a senior research associate at

the BCI in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences (Gersema).

It is important to eliminate bullying and the negative stigma surrounding participation

in music because it not only undermines the potential for creativity and self-expression

that music provides. It also puts forward a culture of fear, intimidation, and exclusion

that can have lasting negative effects on individuals and communities. By promoting a

supportive and inclusive environment for musical expression, especially at young ages,

so we can grow into the music as we grow as people, we can harness the

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transformative power of music to foster positive emotional, social, and cognitive

development among students and people of all ages. Music has been shown to have

numerous benefits for individuals, including enhancing academic performance,

improving mental health and well-being, and promoting social connectedness and

cultural understanding. From my two interviewees, both heavily involved in music

throughout their life, to young students and children that are recently exposed as they

grow up, music can have such a large impact on our creativity and intelligence.

As students, engagement with music can provide a creative outlet that helps to

reduce and moderate stress and promote a sense of accomplishment and self-efficacy.

For people of all ages, music can serve as a means of self-expression and cultural

exploration, as well as a powerful tool for communication and community bonding. By

recognizing the value of music and working to eliminate bullying and exclusionary

practices, we can create a more positive and accepting learning environment that

empowers individuals to explore their own creativity and potential. Through continued

support for music education and advocacy for inclusion and diversity, we can harness

the true power of music to promote social change and hold a more compassionate and

just community for our young students.