Music for All Ages
By Jeannie Fleming-Gifford
When music is turned on, people of all ages react. Babies bounce, young people dance and the elderly sway and smile. Whatever the age and whatever the culture, music has appeal. Engaging, educational and entertaining, the power of this medium has long been noted. From music therapy to the Mozart effect, music is known to be a powerful force.
Are You Listening? Babies Are!
Humans listen to sounds and music even before we are born. Research shows that the fetus in the womb is able to hear sounds a mere 20 weeks following conception. New research from England reveals that for up to one year after being born, babies remember and even prefer music that they heard in utero.
This study, performed by Dr. Alexandra Lamont from the Music Research Group at the University's School of Psychology at the University of Leicester (available at www.cyberplayground.com), noted the babies' preference for music. The study noted fondness as demonstrated by the amount of time infants spent looking toward the source of the music. Their attention was first attracted by flashing disco lights, and the music then played from a loudspeaker next to the light. When they stopped looking in that particular direction, the music stopped. The babies quickly learned the association between their looks and the amount of music they got to hear. It is amazing how early tastes and an active response for music can start to be determined.
It's Good for You!
Go to an exercise class and music is one of the first things you will hear because it gets you moving. Music can influence your moods and motivate you. Next time you are feeling a bit blue, put on some happy tunes, do a little dance or walk those blues away with your headset on.
Music has been shown to have a profound effect on the elderly as well. A 2003 study published in The Journal of Advanced Nursing concluded that listening to classical music decreases chronic osteoarthritis (OA) pain in community-dwelling elders. OA is the most common form of arthritis and a leading cause of pain and disability in Americans. Previous studies have shown that listening to music can reduce the perception of pain and improve mood. Music has been demonstrated to induce relaxation, decrease anxiety and distract from the experience of pain. These effects often are accompanied by a decrease in heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate.
Exposure, Enjoyment, Education and Entertainment
From infants to elderly and everyone in between, how is it that we come to enjoy certain types of music – bluegrass, folk, rap, heavy metal, classical? Part of the reason is due to exposure. Simple exposure means listening to something new; it is an experience similar to trying new food. Without experimentation and exploration, how would you know if you liked it or not? A great way to experience new music is through the free rentals at your local library.
Exposure is especially important for children. Music provides children with a form of communication as they bounce, dance, sing and otherwise respond. The diversity of music to which children are exposed adds to their repertoire and also prepares them for cultural understanding throughout their lives.
Music education also has been shown to affect the success and wellbeing of individuals. Playing an instrument develops such skills as fine-motor coordination, sequencing and using symbols to create meaning (reading music), to name a few. Playing in an ensemble teaches children to work as a team as they accomplish a common goal. Many skills learned via the musical experience provide an automatic transfer to skills that will be needed in the workforce and to create a productive member of society.
Music provides a means to experience pure and simple joy – rejoice and reflect, dance and cry – all through a medium that may or may not utilize words. This phenomenon can be seen in a wide variety of cultural responses to various types of music. For instance, think of the ‘40s big bands and the young men and women who would swing and dance the night away. Or in the case of rap, the medium gives many youth a voice for expressing their opinions about society. And in the case of classical music, its complexity is a format for thinking about and understanding the world.
So, what music will it be? Put it on, then reflect, rejoice, respond and most of all, enjoy.
Jeannie Fleming-Gifford, M.A., is the director of CHABAMTM, The Educational PlaycenterTM (www.chabam.com - the place where Children Have Active Bodies And Minds), as well as a freelance writer. Jeannie can be reached at fleminggifford@yahoo.com.
