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"Music
makes the difference."
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Dear Parents, We want the world for our children and they expect the world from us. As a public school music educator and parent of three young adults, I'd like to share some information which might prove helpful as you explore the intricacies of the Internet. We all need to remind ourselves that we are doing the best we can. The mere fact that you are visiting this web site expresses volumes of your concern for the musical education of your children. What can I do to advocate for better music education and opportunities for my child in the public schools? These questions and more will be addressed in this web site for parents. Thanks for visiting and I do welcome any feedback. Peace, diana tomasello waterman |
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Who of us has not heard of the Mozart Effect? Who of us truly understands what it is? Are there actual scientific findings that testify to an increase in memory after listening to a Mozart sonata or is this media hype? Does music make a difference? Should we give our children piano lessons before they enter kindergarten? Will it really expand our teenager's brain cells to listen to Mozart ten minutes before SAT tests? To find a path through this maze, I will direct you in two directions. First is to the Music and Brain Information Center called MuSICA and Dr. Norman M. Weinberger, project director for the MuSICA Research Notes. It was here that Dr. Gordon Shaw and his colleagues at the University of California, Irvine created the original research for this phenomenon. However, it was the media who first coined the term,"the Mozart Effect". In Weinberger's article, "The Importance of Being Accurate," he writes: "There is currently a great deal of excitement about the influence of music on behavior. The media pays more attention to findings on music than ever before. Stories in print and on the tube can be found every week, some weeks almost every day. More popular books on music are being published than ever before. Isn't this good? How could it be bad? A neglected area of research is no longer quite so neglected. The consciousness of parents, educators, government bodies and the general public has and is being raised." Click on MuSICA to read the rest of his provocative article. Don Campbell, a music and health educator, followed with his best-selling book, The Mozart Effect, which espouses the beneficial effects of music for everything from raising test scores to curing cancer. An informative site aptly named, The Mozart Effect, describes Campbell and his theories. You may also want to visit The Mozart Effect Resource Center which offers information, books and CD's by Campbell, and a schedule of clinics and workshops for the next several months. Good luck on your quest for truth. Feel free to share with me any insights you discover in your search. |
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EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT MUSIC EDUCATION IN MSAD 57 AND BEYOND... |
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What are the National Standards for Music? Does my school make the grade? |
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What are the State of Maine Learning Results for music and how will my child be impacted? |
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What are the curriculum requirements for music in MSAD 57 and is my child on task? |
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Mark your calendars early for the spring concerts at Shapleigh Memorial and Alfred Elementary schools. |
Email: diana_waterman@fc.sad57.k12.me.us
