symposia: musical training for children · symposia: musical training for children ... musik...

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PROCEEDINGS FROM PERMATA SENI

SYMPOSIA:

MUSICAL TRAINING FOR CHILDREN

*PROFESSOR DR. SITI CHAIRANI PROEHOEMAN

INDONESIA

ABSTRACT

Why learn music? Why musical training is beneficial for children’s development? Various

researchers have conducted studies on the cognitive ability and development benefits for

children who start music training and learn how to play a musical instrument at an early age.

What’s the hurry? What is music? Music is sound, and sound is electromagnetic vibrations or

electromagnetic waves that can stimulate more parts of the brain, more than any other human

function. Music as a component of sound organized by the properties of music namely, pitch,

rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics, timbre etc. can be formulated with endless probability

into the creation of art music. The impact of music is much more than just a language of

emotion. The important argument of music training for children is the right timing, which is the

early music training considering that the plasticity of a child’s brain in the first few years of life

is much higher than the adult brain. Music lessons, music performance, overall long term

process of quality music training cultivates, strengthen and broaden the children’s inborn gift,

cognitive ability and creativity. Music activity, as how it works has great potential to affect the

brain, contributes in shaping emotional and social skills.

Keywords---Brain plasticity; Correct timing; Long term musical training

*Siti Chairani Proehoeman, opera singer-academician, born in Jakarta, Indonesia, received

her 1st and 2nd degree in Music Performance (Voice) from Conservatorio di Musica di Santa

Cecilia (Rome, Italy). Took post-graduate courses in Tirocinio di Canto (apprenticeship) at

L’Accademia di Musica di Santa Cecilia (Rome, Italy), German Repertory at Hochschule für

Musik (München, Germany), Opera at San Francisco State University of California, and

received Doctorate degree from Universitas Gadjah Mada, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Has

sung and worked in USA, Europe, East Asia and South-East Asia.

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1. INTRODUCTION

Why learn music? Why is musical training beneficial for children’s development? What is

music? Music is sound, tone, vibration, frequency, melody, rhythm, pitch, harmony, dynamics,

timbre etc. … Music is pure energy without mass, only to be experienced with particular

frequencies. Music is the most abstract form of art. It is an electromagnetic vibration form of

art. Music and lyrics generate vibrations in the air, stirring the hairs of the inner ear which

stimulate the nerve cells to send electrical signals to the brain (Cromie, 1993). Studies have

shown how music has affected the human organism from the mists of time to the laboratories

of tomorrow, its power to move the mind and the spirit, its ability to heal, and the mystiques of

its resonance in our minds and bodies (Mannes, 2011). Research has also shown how long

term music education benefits students, notably its positive effects on the brain function by

increasing self-expression, general intelligence and cognitive abilities, language development,

agility, memory and creativity. In general, as healthy humans we all like to listen to music. The

effect of music is evident. We feel good, aroused, stimulated and calm depending on the type

of music we listen to. Music listening has also significant physiological effects, such as stress

relief, emotional release, increased creativity and abstract thinking, positive influences on the

body overall energy levels and heart rhythm (Yoon, 2000). The effects of arousal and mood

changes in music listening extends to increased spatial ability (Schellenberg, 2005).

2. EARLY MUSIC TRAINING

When we discuss learning, we must first relate to the brain as the vital and most complex

organ in the human body. Its physiological function is to execute the centralized control over

the other organs of the body to support a systematic control of our actions. The brain is the

central nervous system, made up of billions of brain cells called neurons which has the

property of transmitting and receiving electrical or nerve impulses. They create enormous

amount of electricity activity or synapses in the brain in a network which links the various parts

of the brain functional subsystems. Scientists think that the rapid electrical firing of millions of

interconnecting neurons optimizes higher brain functions and enhances brain plasticity.

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Based on the findings of various neuroscience research, the mystery of the complex brain is

gradually unravelling. To optimize children’s cognitive and skill development, we must look

into the subject of the child’s brain and ability to learn. The child’s brain burns much more

glucose than an adult’s brain, more than twice as many as ultimately retained (Chugani, 1993).

Glucose as the main source of brain energy, must be maintained consistently to sustain the

brain’s critical physiological function. The synapses of the young brain form rapidly as the child

learns, requiring glucose to maintain trillions of connections between neurons. Studies

conducted show that by 4 years old, the brain’s plasticity and activity are enhanced by more

than twice compared to an adult’s brain. This is the reason why children have superior ability

to learn. They are quick learners and actually perform certain tasks better than adults.

The physiological condition of the developed prefrontal cortex of the adult’s brain is restricted

by a functional fixedness, unlike the underdeveloped prefrontal cortex of a child’s brain. This

enables the child to utilize its ability to be more inventive, more creative and flexible. The

experiences during the first few years of the child’s life when the brain’s plasticity is maximal

will facilitate maximal development and learning. For this reason, it is important to intervene

and start musical training early for children. This is the ideal timing especially when specific

goals are to be achieved. The earlier children start learning music, the faster the cognitive

ability and skill will develop.

A biophysicist (Phelps, 1993) once said that if we teach our children early enough, it will affect

the organization or the wiring of their brain. In fact, the crucial learning experiences should

happen during the critical period of early childhood, which is the first two years of life when the

brain plasticity is still maximal, and to continue to retain and strengthen for highest

development and learning in the few years of the preschool period. After the age of ten the

plasticity will be lost. Since music stimulates all areas of the brain, encouraging children to

learn music and play a musical instrument, (Chugani,1993) will enhance their development.

However, in deprivation when there is without proper brain stimulation or enrichment the

organization or wiring of the child’s brain can also be permanently affected (Scheibel, 1993).

Studies indicate that a neuron must have a purpose to survive, or else apoptosis will occur.

Neurons that do not receive or transmit information will be damaged and die (Abdeldayem,

2012).

The brain starts to prune or delete old neuron connections or synapses that are not exercised,

and retains only the activated ones. Brain stimulation is therefore crucial. The experience, the

activity, environment or how we lead our lives determine the retention of brain cells. There are

various opinions regarding how early training should be imposed on children. A neurobiologist

stated that children need a flood of information (Pierson, 1996), but forcing, pushing and

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accelerating them too much is counterproductive. When the level of exposure is excessive,

stress hormones are released which actually kill the nerve cells (Scheibel, 1993).

Nevertheless, too much exposure or too little exposure in general is a matter of balance. To

some extent it is relative, depending on the child’s inborn quality, capacity, experience and

environment. With the right approach and discipline in early training it is also important to

consider the effectiveness of the outcome. Another neuroscientist says training should not be

delayed until 5 years old when it is clearly evident that they benefit most when the child’s

brain is stimulated much earlier (Constantine-Paton, 1996).

3. QUALITY MUSIC TRAINING

Brain plasticity is the capability to alter the functional organization as a result of experience

(Abdeldayem, 2012). Music training and music listening stimulate the brain as a whole,

stimulating both the left and the right hemispheres. However, playing a musical instrument

requires even more activities in the brain, thus affecting a child’s overall cognitive development

and possibly increasing a child’s overall intellectual capacity more than any other activity

affecting the brain bilateralism (Yoon, 2000). The right brain is regarded as the more subjective

and creative hemisphere which focuses on the melody in music. The left brain is regarded as

the analytical hemisphere responsible for the understanding of musical structure and motor

skill, such as playing the violin (Yoon, 2000). Music research shows that the typical

professional musician or composer possess both the analytical attribute of the left brain and

also the creative bearing of the right brain. Many studies reveal that music education not only

has the benefit of self-expression and enjoyment, but it is linked to improved cognitive function

(Schellenberg, 2005), increased language development from an early age (Legg, 2009), and

also, positive social interaction (Netherwood, 2007). It is important to remember that it is not

only about early intervention in musical training, but also the repetition of exercises and

sustainability of quality music education over the long-term. Physiologically, and to achieve an

optimized result, it is beneficial to introduce music training in the first two years of life when

the brain plasticity is at its peak, and to proceed to quality music training in the preschool

period when the rate of learning and development is fastest. The repetition and intensity of

musical training, are also crucial to strengthen the experience and to obtain effective skill

development. The brain reacts and adapts in response to challenges determined by

experience and environment stimuli. The repetitive exercise is an intentional activity that

increases the brain function and keep the neurons activated are preserved.

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Quality musical training is an intensive process of training coupled to long-term music

education which includes music theory and music performance. In practice, quality musical

training requires discipline in repetitive exercises that will nurture habits of attentiveness and

strengthen the experience to optimize the development of cognitive and motor skills, memory,

creative capacity and knowledge. Most important is the intentionally execution which induces

with pleasure which physiologically increases the brain function.

4. CONCLUSION

Does musical training cultivate and deepen children’s inborn gift, cognitive ability and

creativity? Does music listening, its arousal and mood changing attributes and playing a

musical instrument and performance, contribute to the development of children’s emotional

and social skill? Based on studies, the answer is a yes. The short-term benefits would be from

music listening, and the long-term benefits are from the musical training and music

performance. Practice, musical training is a long-term process, a long-term endeavour

involving the learning, training, practice and performance related to long lasting cognitive

benefits.

Musical training should start at an early age and sustain through the long term with quality

music education for optimal result. The right timing of musical training intervention is essential

and is related to brain plasticity in children and to the intrinsic value of music. In summary:

(a) children’s ability to learn is superior compared to adults, as their brain plasticity is maximal,

and most rapid during the preschool period.

(b) music stimulates both the right and the left hemispheres of the brain.

(c) quality musical training determines and strengthens the experience in shaping the

development of cognitive ability, skills and creativity.

(d) music listening and overall music activity develop emotional and social skills.

The impact of quality long term music education, such as music lessons and playing a musical

instrument and performance is evident from studies which show:

(a) enhanced cognitive ability

(b) cultivation of motor skills

(c) activation of brain activity and improved thinking skills

(d) raised memory skill

(e) improved concentration

(f) enhanced perseverance

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(g) good study habits and self-confidence.

It is also evident that environmental experience and association with other types of stimuli

have additional benefits and valuable effects.

5. REFERENCES

Abdeldayem, H. (2012). Brain Plasticity. Health & Medicine, Education. 4-13-12.

Chugani, H. (1993). Kid’s Brain Power (Nadia, S). The Oregonian, Technology Review.12-15-

93. The Riggs Institute.

Constantine-Paton, M. (1993). Kid’s Brain Power (Nadia, S). The Oregonian, Technology

Review. 12-15-93. The Riggs Institute.

Cromie, W.J., 1993. Music on the Brain. Harvard University Gazette.

Hyde, K.L., et al. (2009). Musical Training Shapes Brain Development. The Journal of

Neuroscience, 29(10), 3019-3025.

Legg, R. (2009). Using Music to accelerate language learning: an experimental study.

Research in Education, (82), 1-12. Retrieved from the Professional Development Collection

database.

Mannes, E. (2011). The Power of Music.

Mergenthaler, P., Lindauer, U. and Meisel, A. (2013). Sugar for the brain: the role of glucose

in physiological and pathological brain function

Nadia, S. (1993). Kid’s Brain Power. The Oregonian, Technology Review. 12-15-93. The

Riggs Institute.

Nelville, H., et al. (2008). Effect on Music Training on Brain and Cognitive Development in

Underprivileged 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.

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Netherwood, C. (2007). Music to your ears. Australian Parents, 64.

Pallesen, K.J., et al. (2010). Cognitive Control in Auditory Working Memory Is Enhanced in

Musicians. PLoS ONE 5(6): e11120.

Phelps, M. (1993). Kid’s Brain Power (Nadia, S). The Oregonian, Technology Review. 12-15-

93. The Riggs Institute.

Pierson, M. (1996). Brain Development in Early Childhood Presentation Notes. University of

North Dakota.

Rauscher, F.H., & Zupan M.A. (2000). Classroom Keyboard Instruction Improves

Kindergarten Spatial-Temporal Performance: A Field Experiment. Early Childhood Research

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symposia: musical training for children · symposia: musical training for children ... musik...

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