| For the last few years, there has been a | | | | mind is required to consider the meaning of what |
| movement in education away from traditional | | | | is being read. For retention to take place, the |
| subjects to a more interdisciplinary approach. The | | | | reader must decode, comprehend and retain what |
| basic idea is to apply more than one discipline | | | | the eye transfers to the brain. The brain uses a |
| simultaneously. There is no doubt that | | | | complex set of neurological, cognitive and physical |
| cross-curricular approaches to education can be | | | | processes to accomplish this task. If everything |
| very effective when properly applied. | | | | goes well, we derive meaning and develop new |
| When our local school district moved this direction | | | | memories and patterns of thinking from what is |
| with communication arts, my first thought was to | | | | read. Aside from reading aloud, auditory |
| find a way to incorporate reading and writing into | | | | processes are not used. |
| my daily routine without interrupting my normal | | | | When an individual reads music, however, the |
| educational process of rehearsing music. Halting | | | | mind is required to do a few additional tasks. |
| this process to read a book or write a narrative | | | | There are three main advantages that music has |
| seemed like a waste of our valuable rehearsal | | | | over reading. |
| time. My discomfort toward this issue led me to | | | | Argument |
| this epiphany: I AM a reading teacher already and | | | | First, the brain is required to distinguish between |
| no changes are necessary. | | | | rapidly changing sounds and an infinite amount of |
| As I thought about what it means to read a book | | | | visual stimuli. The ability to distinguish between the |
| or write a five-paragraph essay, I suddenly | | | | two is constantly rehearsed and reinforced |
| realized that I already teach these skills to my | | | | through repetition. As this rehearsal takes place, |
| music classes. I realized that the fundamentals of | | | | the brain is continuously asked to improve its |
| reading and performing music are identical to | | | | performance through mental mediation (letting go |
| reading and writing printed text. The cognitive | | | | of thought). This added task is known as rapid |
| dissonance that I was feeling about this mandate | | | | auditory processing and is required for the |
| suddenly turned to relief and reassurance. | | | | understanding of language. Young children are |
| The more I think about this issue, the more I | | | | especially challenged in auditory processing and |
| realize how much of a communication arts | | | | mental mediation. Early music training has been |
| teacher I really am. Learning to form a musical | | | | shown to drastically improve this skill set. |
| phrase from individual notes is the same as | | | | Secondly, the brain is required to translate |
| reading a sentence. Memorizing note names and | | | | auditory and visual stimuli into kinesthetic activity. |
| then producing them through the instrument | | | | Although movement in music is similar to pairing |
| utilizes the same cognitive processes as reading | | | | reading and writing skills together, music provides |
| aloud. Performing and rehearsing emotion, tone, | | | | a reciprocal reward for the brain that combines all |
| timbre, articulation, pace, meter, and dynamics is | | | | three processes together. The rehearsal of |
| precisely what I already teach through music. The | | | | auditory, visual and kinesthetic processes combine |
| hesitation I felt about having this burden handed | | | | to enhance the brain's overall ability to translate |
| to me was lifted with these sudden realizations. | | | | data into meaningful information. Performing music |
| This must be similar to what Oedipus felt when | | | | is superior to reading and writing text in its ability |
| he realized that he killed his father and married his | | | | to repeatedly reward the brain for good behavior. |
| mother. In Greek tragedy, this is referred to as | | | | The final area that deserves to be examined |
| peripeteia, or sudden realization. Of course, | | | | concerns visual field articulation. This is the brain's |
| peripeteia only comes after anagnorisis. | | | | ability to focus on one item of information within a |
| Anagnorisis means sudden discovery, or moving | | | | pattern or field of reference. Processing rhythmic |
| from ignorance to knowledge. What I have to say | | | | information in notation is yet another feature of |
| next may move you from ignorance to | | | | reading music and naturally enhances this area of |
| knowledge when it comes to music education. | | | | cognitive ability. Visual field articulation is closely |
| I would like to try to make the argument that | | | | related to rapid auditory processing and is an |
| reading music is fundamentally superior to reading | | | | indicator of overall reading ability. Music is a natural |
| text for enhancing overall cognitive ability. Further, | | | | and fun way to rehearse these skills. |
| reading music is the best basic starting point for a | | | | If these three differences were not enough, new |
| child 's first steps toward reading ability. | | | | research indicates that musicians are better able |
| At first, this may seem like a ridiculous proposition. | | | | to chunk information together and retain |
| You may even be insulted by the very thought | | | | long-term memories. This theory is tied to the |
| that I can make such a claim. Take a closer | | | | way the brain uses harmonic frequency to bind |
| look,and you may find a few surprises. | | | | and chunk information. A musician's brain is |
| Rationale | | | | attuned to harmonic frequency in a deeper way, |
| The fundamental processes of performing music | | | | therefore better able to chunk information |
| are tied directly to the same areas of the brain | | | | together into meaningful relationships. For more on |
| that are required for information processing and | | | | this idea, reference the book How the Gifted |
| retention. Like reading, performing music taps into | | | | Brain Learns by David A. Sousa. |
| all of the same cognitive areas of the brain. If you | | | | Back to Oedipus |
| can agree on this fact, then consider how these | | | | Throughout the Greek tragedy Oedipus the King, |
| cognitive areas of the brain can be easily | | | | many metaphors for vision and eyesight are used |
| enhanced through music. | | | | to illustrate knowledge and insight. It is my hope |
| Rehearsing music, just like reading a book, has the | | | | that you now see music reading differently than |
| ability to link certain spiritual, emotional and physical | | | | you did before. If I have failed to convince you of |
| elements together. Reading music and reading | | | | my main argument, you will at least have a |
| text both channel various emotions into physical | | | | deeper appreciation for the impact music can |
| manifestations in the body and can permanently | | | | have on reading ability. I will leave you with a |
| alter the way the brain receives and processes | | | | quote from the Wordsworth Dictionary of Musical |
| information. Regardless of how you examine the | | | | Quotations, 1991, p. 45: |
| two, both reading music and reading text are | | | | Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the |
| very similar in nature. As you may discover, the | | | | universe, wings to the mind, flight to the |
| similarities are not nearly as important as the | | | | imagination, a charm to sadness, and life to |
| differences. | | | | everything. |
| When an individual reads a passage in a book, the | | | | |