C4T Assignment #2

Tina Barseghian discusses in her blog "Can Music Help Low-Income Students Close the Academic Gap" the positive aspects a musical education can have on students' lives and academic development. According to Ms. Barseghian, research indicates students' brains develop faster when musically trained. In addition, adults who started a musical education in childhood had more enhancement in brain structure than non-musicians.

Programs are now available to at-risk students in Los Angeles to learn instruments including the violin, cello, and bass. In addition, students can participate in Saturday Ensemble Programs where they can play with a full band or orchestra. 

Take a look at Ms. Barseghian's Blog detailing these findings:

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/10/can-music-help-low-income-students-close-the-academic-gap/

In my comment I expressed my excitement upon hearing further research promoting a musical education and my excitement upon hearing that the Los Angeles school system was reaching out to at-risk students. Funding for Fine Arts programs are often in danger of being cut; therefore to hear of research encouraging a musical education is amazing to say the least.

In her blog "The Importance of Fostering Kids' Creative Confidence" Ms. Barseghian presents David Kelley's views on creative potential. According to Kelley, everyone has creative potential. Individuals can master creative applications if they just "stick with it long enough". In addition, professionals and educators of all kinds should practice "Guided Mastery", a system of encouraging creative potential in their students.

Check out Mr. Kelley's TED Talks presentation:

In my comment I expressed my sharing of Kelley's views. As a musician, many people tell me "I could never be creative" or "I could never play an instrument". Everyone has creative potential; they just have to be guided into unlocking that potential in the right way.