Tag : brain

So many articles, so little time!

With so many articles about music circulating on the web, it’s difficult to know where to begin. There’s been an explosion of interest about the effects of music on the

Brains On Music: Premies and Flutes premature baby

A recent study shows that music is beneficial to the brains of premature babies. I was fascinated to read this article from the University of Geneva dated June 1, 2019:

Music Education Brain Research

Music Education and Brain Research Music education in the public schools has been under attack for decades.  Although parents and teachers have advocated for more and better music programs, having

Healthy Brains Need Stimulation and Variety

Healthy Brains Need Stimulation and Variety It seems that the field of neuroscience is exploding with research about how we learn, what our brains need to stay sharp, and how

Grit for Musicians: Practicing and Parenting

Is Grit the Secret to Success In Music? I first heard about Angela Duckworth and her research on “grit” on a Freakonomics podcast. Duckworth talks about how persistence, not talent,

Practice Research: study shows faster, better learning

New practice research suggests ways to make learning more efficient. Thanks to cognitive researchers we are understanding more and more about how the brain processes information. A practice research study published in

Practice Session, Part 1: Warm Up

Warm Up This blog post is the second in a seven part series about the structure of a typical practice session. In the blog post “Overview,” I outlined the six

“Alive Inside” film review

Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory. 2014 film by Michael Rossato-Bennett. At a recent family gathering, a cousin told me about a film she had watched the night before.

How We Learn – applications for musicians

I just finished reading How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens by Benedict Carey, 2014. From a musician’s perspective, it has obvious applications for practice.

Mental Practice

Mental practice can be as effective as physical practice in music. That sounds crazy, right?! You wouldn’t train for a marathon by sitting on your couch and thinking about running 26.2 miles.