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http://family.disney.com/Features/family_1997_08/orng/orng87music/ MUSIC AND THE MIND BYKARENLINDELL AS YOU LISTEN to the not-so-melodic sounds of your child plunking away on the piano, remember that her musical education--wrong notes and all--is for a good cause. And we're not just talking about a future as a concert pianist. Studies show that musical training can also make kids better readers and may boost their brainpower--especially when they get an early start. Robert Cutietta, Ph.D., head of music education at the University of Arizona and co-author of SPIN-OFFS: THE EXTRA-MUSICAL ADVANTAGES OF A MUSICAL EDUCATION (United Musical Instruments U.S.A., 1995), says research indicates that music instruction improves everything from foreign language skills to self-esteem. "But the strongest findings," he says, "show that if a child is learning to read notes while learning to read words, word-reading improves." Cutietta says evidence that music aids math abilities is not as conclusive. "There's no doubt there's a connection between math and music--kids in band, choir and orchestra do well in math," he says. "But there's not necessarily a causal relationship--it hasn't been shown that playing in band makes you better in math." However, a recent UC Irvine study may shed some light on how music can enhance math intelligence. The study involved three- and four-year-olds who received private piano lessons, private computer instruction or group singing lessons. Only the children learning to play the piano increased their spatialtemporal reasoning skills significantly, scoring 34 percent higher than the other students. Spatial-temporal reasoning, explains Gordon Shaw, Ph.D., professor of physics at UC Irvine and principal investigator for the study, is the ability to think ahead in space and time, a skill required for success in math, science and engineering. "There are two ways in which you reason,"says Shaw. "One is language-based; the other is the ability to see patterns and manipulate images. Learning sequences of musical patterns may be related to inherent structures in the brain," he says. "Music plays an important role in tapping into the structure and patterning of the brain." Shaw adds that although further study is needed, he believes that playing instruments other than the piano will also improve brain function. New research also indicates that singing uses similar mental skills. What do all these scientific findings mean for parents? Give kids an early start on music education, urges Cutietta. "Many schools don't begin music instruction until the upper grades, so it's up to parents," he says. "If kids don't start to use their musical aptitude, it will begin to fall away." He suggests beginning with movement to music and singing at ages two and three, until kids are ready to start playing an instrument at age four, five or six. Cutietta also emphasizes the importance of listening to music to improve thinking. "Everybody hears music, but not everyone listens," says Cutietta. "Get kids to focus on music. For example, say, 'Listen to the bass line'; or 'Listen to that voice and compare it to the drum.' This can be done with any kind of music." Shaw, who also conducted a study showing that college students temporarily increased their spatial IQ scores after listening to a Mozart sonata, agrees that early musical training is key--"and listening to a little Mozart wouldn't hurt."