Hearing the news about the condition the world is in regarding the environment, social inequality, social justice and economic growth, can really bring me down. It’s so easy to get discouraged and feel helpless.  I think about these things a lot and try to think of ways to help change the world and solve these problems.  And somedays I come across some very exciting articles that make me realize that I am already making a big difference in our world, one student at a time.

I teach music to young children, and everyday I see more and more evidence that learning music is the secret to creativity and innovation when these children grow up.  That’s what our world needs, more inventors, more people with new and fresh ideas, more people who can solve problems and work creatively.  And what researchers are finding is that in order for people to develop creative minds, they must study the arts, and they must start young.  More specifically, history of music training is the extremely prevalent among patent holders, company founders and inventors.  According to a study conducted at MSU, 93% percent of the participants who graduated from their honors program had music training and “maintained a lifelong involvement in music”. Isn’t that incredible?

It’s the act of working with your hands and creating amazing things that pave the way to future creativity.  And you know what else is really cool?  The earlier, the better.  There is an optimum window when music impacts the brain the most.  And the brain is changed for life.  Even adults who haven’t played an instrument in 40 years still have an advantage over those who never played.

And the benefits do not depend on how accomplished a musician one becomes, what matters is that you learned to make music.  Even a few years of early music training within the window of 3-8 years old will make a world of difference for that child’s future.

So, now the world looks a lot less gloomy, and I’m super excited to know that I’m making a positive difference, and I hope you can do the same.

You can enroll your child(ren) in music, encourage your friends and family to enroll their children, support the arts in schools, support local music and arts schools, support performing artists, and spread the word, that music is the key to the future!

Here are links to the articles about music and the brain:

Early Music Lessons Boost Brain Development

How Music Could Make You a Rocket Scientist