PUT! ART! IN! YOUR! HOUSE! Part II
I previously discussed creating an art nook and using it to enrich history learning and to learn about art history at the same time. Today, it's time for music. Music history is one of those areas easily ignored or given short shrift, but given how sticky music is for minds, it need not be. And listening to music has demonstrable positive effects on mood, memory, and brain function . (The more involved a person is with the music, the greater the effect; so, inattentive listening may not produce more than a mood boost, where playing an instrument boosts executive function , among other things.) Short of committing to a serious music program, one may still curate a musical curriculum that will begin to familiarize you and your children with new music. The more exposure a person has to music, the more likely she will be to engage with music more fully in life. So I see this as a sort of initial step, a necessary condition of music literacy. The good news: it's as simple as playi