‘Make music, not war’ program hits schools
By Heather Krause
Special to the North Star
PARRY SOUND - In a recent study of nine to 17 year olds, music ranked first on the list of influences that kept kids off drugs.
“It’s the difference between having a gang war and having a symphony,” says Meg Madden, Executive Director of MUST (Music in Schools Today). “It’s the same underlying energy–the difference is in how we can channel it and lead it to positive expression.”
The Festival of the Sound, a non-profit chamber music group, is continuing with the launch of its Music Scores project, now in its first year in the Near North District’s Parry Sound schools.
The Festival of the Sound’s Music Scores project brings professional musicians into the area schools. The musicians travel to the schools and spend time with the Grades 4, 5 and 6 students introducing themselves and their instruments.
These workshops are followed by an end-of-the-week concert for the students at the Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts.
Part of the corporate goals of the Festival of the Sound, a world-renowned chamber music festival now in its 27th year, is to bring world-class musical performers into the local community. The Music Scores project gives something back to the Parry Sound community, often providing a first glimpse into the world of professional music to many of the more rural children.
New data is constantly being gathered on the positive effects of music and music-making on brainpower, wellness, intelligence, even the environment. Exposure to music is being shown to help kids succeed in school and to help them succeed in life in general.
Classical music in particular in highly beneficial to the developing young person.
Researchers Francis Shaw and Dr. Gordon Rauscher, pioneers of the now well-known “Mozart Effect” have show that music biologically changes the way a child’s brain develops. Music stimulation actually forms new and permanent connections in children’s brains.
Recent studies are indicating that music education can be even more influential in children’s education than computer classes. In studies involving school children in three groups, once group receiving no special instruction, one group receiving computer training and one group receiving music lessons, the music lesson group scored 34% higher on tests designed to measure math and reasoning skills, than the no special instruction group. The computer kids scored no higher than the group that received no special instruction.
Beyond promoting success in school, music can help kids in all of life. Music has been scientifically proven to reduce stress and pain levels.
“Music helps kids to learn to be more disciplined, have a better sense of themselves and even have a better sense of altruism,” Meg Madden.
Is all this research on music being good for kids kind of like spinach, though? It might be good for them, but they don’t really like it?
The children themselves give the best testimonial to the success of the project.
“We really loved your music and the concert hall.” “I loved how the performers were so nice to the kids,” and “the best part was that you let us not have to pay,” are a sampling off the children’s feedback after attending one round of workshops and concerts.
This fall, the focus in the Music Scores program is the brass instruments. A brass trio is coming to the area, including virtuoso trumpeter Guy Few. He arrives in Parry Sound on Monday, October 17 and the school concerts happen on Friday, October 21. The week of musicians driving across the Parry Sound region, between schools sometimes as far apart at 75 kms, culminates in two concerts in the Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts. For many, it is
their first concert experience. The excitement level reaches a fever pitch prior to each concert but as soon as the musicians walk out on stage, a hush comes over the hall as the students settle in to listen to their new “music teachers” perform.
The Music Scores project provides local children with at least six visits and six Festival concerts in their middle school years.
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