Disser Presentation Aug 29flipbook

The Importance of Music
Education
And

The Impact on Cognitive
Development

In Early Childhood
through

High School Age Students

Victoria Dolceamore
Drexel University

Professional Affiliations

MUSIC REWARDS THE BRAIN
LEARN TO LISTEN

DO BETTER IN SCHOOL
MAKES KIDS NICER

HELPS KIDS GROW UP
BEST WAY TO STAY IN SCHOOL

I found this early in my research
last year and started to consider
each claim and decided to
research these ideas.

Problem Statement

The problem is that without There is research that supports
consensus around how active the notion that exposure to
engagement in music music at an early age promotes
impacts intellectual, social coordination, language
and personal development in development, phonetic
students, it remains difficult awareness, higher
to justify and advocate for mathematical performance,
music and arts programs as a intellectual development,
foundational subject of critical thinking skills and an
compulsory study that adds overall creative outlet that lends
to the academic rigor. itself to a positive emotional
state, however there has been a
decline in student involvement
in music, access to music
education, as well as access to
quality music teachers in school.

Introduction to the Topic & Purpose Statement

The purpose of this study is My research seeks to build a
to describe the impact of foundation of support by
music education in the K-12 demonstrating that music
environment on cognitive education can help kids cope
and executive function and with everyday challenges in
its potential to build schoolwork, social activities and
character and lead one to a problem solving, while teaching
productive life of self- them about creativity,
confidence, compassion, collaboration and
sensitivity to others, communication skills,
creativity, responsibility, concentration and discipline.
discipline, teamwork, and
self-expression.

Introduction to the Topic & Purpose Statement

My research will examine the Through my research I would
transferrable learning also like to be able to discover a
outcomes, if any, as a result pedagogy that is designed to
of exposure to music in early integrate with other disciplines
childhood in order to bridge that provides learning
the gap between teachers, connections between music and
administrators and policy- other core academic areas of
makers and build advocacy study.
for a fundamental
commitment to augmenting
the visibility of music study in
the K-12 academic setting..

Significance of the Research

Plato believed music to be an
essential part of the first three
years of life and aids in building
a solid foundation for positive
child development.

Significance of the Research

According to Plato, music
education should begin with
mothers singing and dancing for
their children at infancy by
rocking them in their arms and
singing melodies to them.

Significance of the Research

- As music continues to be marginalized in our public education system I will seek to
highlight the positive relationship between music and academic achievement.
My goals is for this study to address the lack of research in the area of transferrable skills
as a result of interdisciplinary study and how this parlays to future success in student life.
- My research will also focus on the skills learned through music in the K-12
environment; specifically the general music classes and instrumental lessons provided in
a school setting. The more that young children are exposed and engage in musical
activities, the greater the impact on cognitive and executive skill development such as
the neural development of brain plasticity.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Definitions for discussion

Executive Function – controls the ability to control and regulate our own thoughts and
behavior

a. Inhibition – the ability to control attention, behavior and thoughts when dealing
with conflict. Musicians demonstrate enhanced sensory and cognitive
connection.

b. Updating – the ability to continuously monitor information and to rapidly add and
remove information from working memory.

c. Switching – the flexibility switching between tasks or mental sets.
Music requires active switching, control and adjustment, therefore it
has been found that musicians outperform non-musicians on switching
tasks.

Brain Plasticity - The ability of the brain to grow, change and develop from infancy through
adulthood. Long and short-term musical training and practice can shape brain
structure and functions

Cognitive Development - The focus of the development of a child’s ability to process
information, language, develop perceptions and interpret
information in a meaningful way.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Definitions for discussion

Academic Achievement - Grades and earned degrees are representative of academic
achievement. Academic achievement can represent that a student or institution has achieved
both short and long-term goals.

Visuospatial - This is an important aspect of cognitive function and refers to the ability to
process and interpret visual information and shift our gaze to different points in space. The
relationship between music training and general academics could be explained by an increase in
crystalized intelligence. The links between music training and language abilities are as follows:
Musical training in childhood influences the development of auditory processing in the cortex.
Musical training is linked to language aspects such as pitch processing, verbal memory and
speech prosody.
Music training correlates with second language training.
Crystalized Intelligence – the ability to draw upon knowledge and experience and access
information from long-term memory. This type of intelligence grows through adulthood.

Music Pedagogy This is the study of methods and principles of teaching music, including
performance, composition, conducting and theoretical analysis.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Definitions for discussion

Emotional Development is an understanding one’s own feelings, recognizing the complexity of
emotions and how we respond.

Interdisciplinary involves the combining of two or more academic disciplines into one activity
and creating something new by thinking across boundaries in order to connect and integrate
different methodologies and disciplines in the pursuit of a common task.

Collaborative Learning can be characterized as a positive interdependence of individuals to a
group with an inherent responsibility to interact, solve problems, complete tasks, resolve conflict
and improve members’ effectiveness to achieve the goals of the group.

What is measureable?

Research Questions:
1. How can music pedagogy be better designed to integrate fully with other education
disciplines and demonstrate its overall value to learning?
2. What intellectual skills from music education apply to other disciplines and can be
leveraged for academic success?

Conceptual Framework

Researchers Stance

This study is partially from an ontological perspective (what things are) and
phenomenological perspective (the way we experience things and they way
they appear).

I would like to understand from the perspective of a teacher, what transferrable
hard and soft skills are observed and developed at various levels of music
programs. The ontological perspective will allow me to have an understanding
of the actual cognitive impact music has on school age children in the K-12
environment and the benefits to other academic disciplines.

As a teacher and researcher my assumptions, basis of inquiry and source of
knowledge is from position of constructivism. The answers I am seeking do
exist and I am merely a conduit to the reality and discoverable truth to the
relationship between music and general cognitive development in school age
children. In addition, I operate from the notion of intuition, trust and truth.
The fact that knowledge is influenced by relations within society, gives reason
to our research and presentation of different perspectives supported by data
analysis and qualitative observation and interpretivism (Creswell, 2019).

Conceptual Framework

Research Method

I will achieve this through a series of interviews and mixed method data collection.
As a result of this analysis, a phenomenological approach will help to understand
to what extent school music study has a positive effect on the academic experience
while further enhancing the development of life skills that contribute to the
learning process in other disciplines and student life.

Specific Design

I am crafting a survey of yes and no questions for my quantitative research and a
series of interview questions for my qualitative research. The survey questions will
be in electronic format and voluntary and the interviews will be open ended
questions that serve the purpose of discussing teacher and parent observations.
Participation is voluntary and will be a small group of parents who have children in
music programs at the lower school or middle school. Teacher participation is for
those who would like to discuss any observations of the influence of music on their
students, interest in discussing an interdisciplinary approach to their work and
music.

Method & Design of Study

Mixed Methods

Quantitative Survey – High School Students who participate in marching band, stage band, jazz band,
advanced music theory classes.

Qualitative Study consisting of interviews of a few select parents who have children in the band and music
programs in the lower school and middle school in the City of Margate NJ.

A secondary part of this qualitative aspect of my study will consist of interviews of a thoughtful selection of
teachers from the lower school and the middle school. Thoughtful, meaning that teachers who have observed
children in the music program, have an interest in learning about a pedagogy that works across disciplines.

My goal is to gain insight from teachers and parents about how accessibility can be improved, enhance the
general music classes and private music study by suggesting a framework with no boundaries, while
embracing a shared vision and connect to a deeper source of learning.

My study will consist of a collection of interviews from the perspective of parents and teachers. Interviews
will seek to understand the perceived value of music education through narrative inquiry.

Method & Design of Study

Mixed Methods

A Quantitative Survey – High School Students

- The goal is to identify a group of high school students who have been involved in music for a number of
years in the school system and in private study. A quantitative survey instrument will be crafted that aims
to understand their music educational experience and how it may have had an impact on the development
of their executive function and academic success.

- The questions will serve to identify qualities that validate the impact on the development of positive social
skills, team-work, discipline and self-regulation.

- I am interested in learning about first-hand experience on behalf of the student. A more mature and older
student will be included in this sample data collection. For the purpose of this study the survey will be a
structured with the opportunity at the end of the survey for students to voice their own thoughts, feelings,
and opinions thereby providing valuable information as a window to the student perspective (Russ-Eft,
Preskill, 2009).

- The data collection instrument will consist of three parts with an area for comments and reflection. Part A
will consist of questions requiring yes and no answers. Part B will use a 5 point Likert scale from “strongly
disagree” to “strongly agree”.

Assumptions & Limitations

Assumptions & Limitations

1. The fist assumption is that it continues to be difficult to justify and advocate for music and arts
programs as a foundational subject of compulsory study

2. The second assumption is that the increased attention to standardized testing and shrinking
school budgets is to blame as music is not looked upon as an enriching part of the K-12
educational experience, but rather an add-on, free-wheeling class without plausible direction.

3. The third assumption is that there has been a decline in access to quality music teachers in
schools as a result of shrinking budgets and consolidation

Based on these assumptions and limitations, I will utilize a mixed method approach that analyzes
both quantitative data and broader qualitative research. This will include observation and
interviews to support my hypothesis that music does enhance the cognitive development of
children and provides life skills that contribute to overall learning and academic success.

STREAMS OF RESEARCH

COMMON THREAD IN MY STREAMS OF RESEARCH

The Evident Hard Skills Developed As A Result Of
Music Study, Yields A Strong Argument In Support
Of Music Education And Advocacy As A Powerful

Discipline In A General Education Curriculum.

Rewiring the
Brain

Sample Survey Questions
Electronic Distribution

Instructions: Please mark your reply yes, no or N/A (Not Applicable) or circle
the answer that best applies to you.

•Do you participate in any music programs at school YES NO N/A

such as marching band, jazz band, stage band? YES NO N/A
YES
•Do you play more than one instrument? YES NO N/A
YES
•Do you participate in organized sports at school? Science NO N/A
Ed.
•Would you consider studying music in college YES NO N/A

•Do you have a private music teacher outside of school? YES Math Arts/Music Language Arts Computers Phys
Other
•What is your favorite subject in school? YES check all that apply
NO N/A
• Do you believe that studying music has helped you YES
• academically? NO N/A
• Do you believe that studying music has helped you YES
• socially? NO N/A
• Are you friends with your bandmates outside of YES
• school time? YES NO N/A
• Was there a time when you considered giving up YES
• your music studies? NO N/A
• Was there a time when you didn’t have support YES
• at home for your music studies? NO N/A
• Do you practice as much as your teacher asks? YES NO N/A
• Do you have time to practice more? NO N/A
• Would you prefer to do homework or practice
• your instrument? ;-) NO N/A
• Have you ever read or heard about the impact music can
• have on your ability to excel in school at other subjects? NO N/A
• Do you believe your music study to be a hobby or
• Passion, meaning something you will carry with
• you through life?

Film Composer

FILM MUSIC SAMPLES

https://www.dropbox.com/s/h58fiwa0xwe8okz/JP%201m1%20
Main%20Title%20With%20Music%20.mov?dl=0

FILM MUSIC SAMPLES with PICTURE

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tswc4h5qhihc3g7/JP%201m5%20
with%20Music%20.mov?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/w7epv00lpxulsw0/JP%204m11%2
0Father%27s%20Grave.mov?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/p6fbodsy9sqxpdz/JP%205m5%20
with%20music%20.mov?dl=0