The Mystery of Music- The Song of Success

Amanda thought that her child would never learn howinformation.
to read.  Pat was already nine years old and barely                Albert Einstein is
sounding out three-letter words. Amanda was readyrecognized as one of the smartest men who has ever
to give up. Her daughter was called ADHD, ADD,lived. His mother bought him a violin, and music was the
DHDD- whatever the latest acronyms were. Whilekey that helped Albert Einstein become, well, Einstein.
nobody could decide on an exact diagnosis, PatHe played violin for many years using music as an
floundered through school, miserably. Then came helpemotional outlet. He loved the music of Mozart and
from a completely unexpected source: Music.Bach the most, seeing a parallel between the music of
 Mozart and his own work in physics. "Whenever he
Music is the language of the soul, the song of thefelt that he had come to the end of the road or into a
heart, the melody that crosses all barriers. Music is ourdifficult situation in his work, he would take refuge in
natural language, one that is equally understood bymusic," recalled his older son, Hans Albert, in an article
every human being on the planet. Yet, it is interestingin The New York Times. "That would usually resolve all
how little we exploit music. Unfathomably, we teachhis difficulties."
precious little through song.                The power of music, to
Linda Stones knows. She has spent years studying,those who know how to use it, is clear. Linda Stones
perfecting, and teaching the art of music to enhancedoesn't only use music to teach specific things. As she
and integrate the learning and development ifexplains, "it's an overall issue. In a classroom there are
special-needs students. Though she has taughtdifferent levels, music unifies. In a private room with a
mainstream children too, it is the special needs childtense, closed child, music relaxes.
that has brought the most surprising results.                "You cannot ignore music.
                "She can actually sit!"It hits people in the most personal way. For children
Amanda told me. Suddenly, she saw her daughterwith emotional difficulties, learning disabilities, or traumas
focusing, relaxing, and actually learning. She wasthat fester, music is a way to open them up, to allow
participating in complicated rhythm exercises, enrichingthem to more easily express themselves and think
her vocabulary, and most importantly, learning happily.more clearly."
                For music teachers and                Using a variety of teaching
therapists, this is not news. Back in the 1980s, Themethods, Ms. Stones has developed teaching
Center for New Discoveries in Learning, located intechniques and rehabilitation methods that equip
Windsor, California, conducted experiments inchildren with music as a long-term tool, whether in a
conjunction with the University of Texas, studyingclassroom setting or one on one. And whether one is
groups of subjects being taught with or without music.an Einstein or your average Jack, the mystery of
They found that music affected learning and memorymusic opens up the mind in the most neurologically
in a powerful way.specific way, stimulating the brain the way nothing else
                Listening to certain typescan.
of classical music while studying activates both the                But most of all, it is just
right and left hemispheres of the brain, maximizingplain fun. The relaxing waves of beautiful sound and
learning and retention of information. The informationhypnotic rhythms, the discovery that you can create
being studies and the focus needed activate the leftmusic with your own fingers, allows this one area of
brain, while the actual music activates the right brain.learning to be a joyful one for every child.
Also, activities which engage both sides of the brain at                offers a wide selection of
the same time, such as playing an instrument or singing,music therapy products and many other therapy toys
cause the brain to be more capable of processingand products for parents, teachers and therapists.