Our next Director Spotlight is on Mr. Jay Webb, Director of Bands at Avon High School. Over the years, Jay, and the Avon team, have developed one of the premier band programs in the nation. We think you will see why the Avon bands continue to achieve at a very high level. We hope you will enjoy this interview with Jay!
Perserverance is developed and strengthened through music education. ~ Scott, L. (1992). Attention and Perseverance Behaviors of Preschool Children Enrolled in Suzuki Violin Lessons and Other Activities. Journal of Research in Music Education, 40(3), 225-235.
“At this time when you are making critical and far-reaching budget and program decisions…I write to bring to your attention the importance of the arts as a core academic subject and part of a complete education for all students. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act defines the arts as a core subject, and the arts play a significant role in children’s development and learning process. The arts can help students become tenacious, team-oriented problem solvers who are confident and able to think creatively.” ~ Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, Letter to Schools and Community Leaders, 2009.
Young Children who take music lessons show different brain development and improved memory over the course of a year, compared to children who do not receive musical training. ~ Dr. Laurel Trainor, Prof. of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behavior at McMaster University, 2006
Students in top-quality instrumental programs scored 17% higher in mathematics than children in schools without a music program, and 33% higher in mathematics than students in a deficient choral program. ~ Journal for Research in Music Education, June 2007; Dr. Christopher Johnson, Jenny Memmott
For the past 23 years, Matt James and Randy Greenwell have lead Lawrence Central Bands to become one of the premier programs in the nation. In their Director Spotlights, they share tips with us on how they set up different aspects of their program. We hope you enjoy some of the great tips on student leadership, conducting and how they balance their program. Approach To Conducting Concert Band and Marching Band Balance Student Leadership Process
Much like expert technical skills, mastery in arts and humanities is closely correlated to a greater understanding of language components. ~ Trei, Lisa. “Musical training helps language processing, studies show.” Stanford News. Accessed February 24, 2015.
Children with learning disabilities or dyslexia who tend to lose focus with more noise could benefit greatly from music lessons. ~ Arete Music Academy. “Statistical benefits of music in education.” Arete Music Academy. Accessed July 17, 2014.
Early childhood training in instrumental music improves the ability to pay attention–visual focus, active listening, and staying on task. ~ Neville, H., et al. (2008). Effects of Music Training on Brain and Cognitive Development in Under-privileged 3- to 5-year-old Children: Preliminary Results. In C. Asbury & B. Rich (Eds.), Learning, Arts, and the Brain: The Dana Consortium Report on Arts and Cognition (pp. 105-116). New York, NY: Dana Press.
Musically trained children performed better in a memory test that is correlated with general intelligence skills such as literacy, verbal memory, visuospatial processing, mathematics, and IQ. ~ Dr. Laurel Trainor, Prof. of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behavior at McMaster University, 2006
Randy Greenwell and Matt James have been teaching together since 1993 at Lawrence Central HS. Over the years, together, they have developed one of the most highly respected programs not only in the state, but also, in the nation. We recently interviewed Randy and Matt for today’s Director Spotlight! Please take a few moments to checkout the interview where they give us the nuts and bolts about their program!
Playing an instrument as a kid leads to a sharper mind in old age, according to a new study conducted by Brenda Hanna-Pladdy, a clinical neuropsychologist in Emory’s Department of neurology, and her colleagues. The researchers gave 70 people between the ages of 60 and 83 a battery of tests to measure memory and other cognitive abilities. The researchers found that those who had played an instrument for a decade or longer scored significantly higher on the tests than those with no musical background. ~ Quoted in Diane Cole, “Your Aging Brain Will Be in Better Shape If You’ve Taken Music Lessons,” National Geographic, January 3, 2014.
Regardless of socioeconomic status or school district, students (3rd graders) who participate in high-quality music programs score higher on reading and spelling tests. ~ Hille, Katrin, et al. “Associations between music education, intelligence, and spelling ability in elementary school.” Adv Cogn Psychol 7 (2011): 1–6. Web. Accessed February 24, 2015.
Three in five Americans (61%) said it [musiceducation] provided a disciplined problem solving approach and 59% said it prepared people to manage tasks more successfully. ~ July 2014 Harris Poll
Graduates from music programs report that creativity, teamwork, communication, and critical thinking are skills necessary in their work, regardless of whether they are working in music or other fileds. ~ Craft, A. (2001). An Analysis of Research and Literature on Creativity and Education. Report Prepared for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Coventry, England. Strategic National Arts Alumni Project(SNAAP). (2010). Forks in the Road: The Many Paths of Arts Alumni: Strategic National Arts Alumni Project 2010 Findings. Bloomington, IN.
We recently sat down with Soo Han, Director of Orchestras at Carmel High School. He shared so much with us in our time with him. Please take a few moments and check out some of the tips he offered! Section Leaders Set Culture There’s No “Ta-Da!” In My Teaching Advice For Young Teachers
Regardless of socioeconomic status or school district, students (3rd graders) who participate in high-quality music programs score higher on reading and spelling tests. ~ Hille, Katrin, et al. “Associations between music education, intelligence, and spelling ability in elementary school.” Adv Cogn Psychol 7 (2011): 1–6. Web. Accessed February 24, 2015.
A Stanford study shows that music engages areas of the brain which are involved with paying attention, making predictions and updating events in our memory. ~ Baker, Mitzi. “Music moves brain to pay attention, Stanford study finds.” Stanford Medicine. Accessed February 24, 2015.
“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.” ~ Victor Hugo
Adults age 60 to 85 without previous musical experience exhibited improved processing speed and memory after just three months of weekly 30-minute piano lessons and three hours a week of practice, whereas the control group showed no changes in these abilities. ~ Nina Kraus, Samira Anderson, “Music Training: An Antidote for Aging?” Hearing Journal, Vol. 66, No. 3, March 2013.
