Proof is the bottom line for everyone

I found the following quote regarding the impact of the arts on education in the National Guild for Community Schools of the Arts’ May 27th e-newsletter:

Training in the arts may change the structure of our brain and the way we think, reports the Baltimore Sun. John Hopkins University and Harvard have both established centers to study the relationship between learning and the brain and recent studies are showing correlations between arts learning and brain plasticity.

“Most of the new research is focusing on the networks of the brain that are involved in specific tasks,” said Michael Posner, a researcher at the University of Oregon. Posner has studied the effects of music on attention. What he found, he said, was that “in those students who showed motivation and creativity, training in the arts helped develop their attention and their intelligence. The next great focus in this area,” he said, “is on proving the connection that most scientists believe exists between the study of music and math ability.”

While many of us like to cite the “Mozart Effect” or “Bohemian Index” or other such studies to reinforce the impact of the arts on children’s academic and social performance, it’s important to understand that much of the scientific community feels that there needs to be more “real” research done to confirm the connection. I don’t dispute that point of view, but I also believe that we who live the process every day feel the connection between art and learning is strong and real and that it is only a matter of time before the weight of evidence is undeniable.

In the June issue of Ebony magazine, there are several articles about the positive impact of music on children, one of which features the story of twin sisters from Cleveland who attend the Cleveland School of the Arts. Keisha Marie Cassel is their class’s valedictorian and plays violin, and Tiesha Ann Cassel is the salutatorian and plays bass. Tiesha says, “In the neighborhood I’m from, there’s not much to look forward to or up to. Then I found music, and after that day, I’ve never looked back. I could do something I love for the rest of my life. With music, I was too distracted to get involved with all of the evils around me.” What better testament do you need to the power of music transforming and lifting up the individual, regardless of circumstances or challenge?

In the same vein, music therapy was considered to be a non-clinical application for many years by the major centers of medical research and thought. While this point of view is no longer valid, it took a considerable amount of time for many in the medical establishment to embrace the healing effects of the arts, and some third party payers still resist classifying it as a valid medical practice. At The Music Settlement, we have experienced the true value of music therapy firsthand for more than 40 years, and have been partnering with many of Northeast Ohio’s leading clinical organizations to bring our programs to those who need them. A great illustration of that effort appears in an article in the summer 2009 edition of Cleveland Clinic Magazine. It’s entitled “Healing Notes,” and it centers on the work of one of The Music Settlement’s most accomplished and courageous therapists, Lisa Gallagher.

The article reports on recent research supporting the positive impact of music on the health of patients, a movement for which Music Therapy has been the standard bearer for a very long time. It cites Lisa’s work with the Clinic and her published research and specifically refers to music therapy’s positive effect on individuals with advanced disease. There is also quite a bit of information on the study of “neuromusic,” or the measurable therapeutic impact of music on brain activity. Dr. Oliver Sachs, a professor of neurology at Columbia University, is quoted as saying, “I expect and hope that music therapy will become a therapeutic option at every hospital over the next few years. It is not only efficacious for many, many patients - it is extremely cost effective, and it contributes to the quality of life for all of us.”

I hope you have the opportunity to check out these fascinating stories, for they touch on the validity of the vision of The Music Settlement in the clearest terms possible. You can find more about these articles in the current issues of Ebony and Cleveland Clinic Magazine, or online at www.ebonyjet.com or www.clevelandclinicmagazine@ccf.org . Surely we all know in our hearts the impact of music and arts-based education on ourselves and the people around us. It allows us to grow, to heal, to succeed, and to excel.

Have a great week!