Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Applying Brain Research To Classroom Strategies, Diane C. Persellin, John W. Flohr

Music Faculty Research

Research in the field of neuroscience has exploded in the past decade. The word brain appears in the title of nearly 40,000 books and CDs indicating intense interest in this area of study. What can music educators learn from recent investigations—often termed brain research—to guide music teaching and learning? The following ideas are intended to have broad applications and may inspire you to investigate this fascinating area of literature more thoroughly. While some findings are new, other studies affirm what music educators have previously found to be effective.

Relationships Among Music Listening, Temperament, And Cognitive Abilities Of Four-Year-Old Children, John W. Flohr, Diane C. Persellin, Daniel C. Miller, Harry Meeuwsen

Music Faculty Research

The purpose of the study was twofold: (a) to investigate electrophysiological (EEG) responses in children while listening to two contrasting styles of music, and (b) to investigate the relationship between listening to recorded music and the cognitive abilities of four-year-old children. EEG data were collected on a baseline condition of eyes open. These data were then compared to EEG data produced when children listened to selections of music by Bach, while they listened to selections of rock music, and while they performed a standardized cognitive test of visual closure. Behavioral data were also collected on sex, age, home environment, and …

Brain-Based Education In Music: A New Science Or Science-Fiction?, Diane C. Persellin

Music Faculty Research

We can see increased interest in the brain and brain-based education everywhere. Google turns up over one million hits on “brain-based education.” Nearly every education and music education conference offers sessions that teach ways to utilize new research on the brain. Places like MIT and Stanford increasingly sponsor workshops and courses where teachers pay big bucks to attend “learning and the brain” conferences. They believe this research is substantial enough to use in classrooms.

The number of new books on brain-based education is also startling. Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks and This is Your Brain …