Rating: 
Summary: A must-have for all parents, educators, musicians & CEOs
Review: This book is a wealth of information. The author cites the latest research in brain development and music education. She also includes anecdotes from the lives of famous and not-so-famous musicians. All sources are cited. Each chapter has an average of 20 endnotes. There is good, practical advice for parents & teachers alike as well as for advocates of any area of the arts. It covers both the importance of music for babies & young children as well as how the lack of study in the arts is adversely affecting creativity in the business world. Specific recommendations for music, books, videos, internet sites are also given. I was surprised at the wealth of powerful information in this book (257 pages text + 44 pages of resources, 15 pages of endnotes, and a 20 page index). If every school board member were to read this book, music and art in the schools would never be threatened by budget constraints.
Rating:
Summary: Must-have for parents who care about child's development!
Review: To any parent who has struggled to get a child to practice any musical instrument, the chapter on practicing (chapter 5) is alone worth the price of Good Music Brighter Children. The book offers not only great encouragement to parents, but it contains many useful suggestions on helping the child or teen over those "I-want-to-quit" hurdles. This book backs up with solid research the position that music affects many aspects of development. Most interesting and readable are the anecdotes of how exposure to music has affected individuals and their families. This is not a book that will guide you in making a prodigy of your child. Its position is that music is a vital component of everyone's development. Many how-to books make grand claims with steps to follow that are impractical at best and usually unreachable by the average reader. Good Music Brighter Children is loaded with realistic suggestions for incorporating music into your child's (and your) life. Whether you take one or several of these suggestions, you're bound to see benefits in many areas of your family's life. From teaching values through music to exposing your kids to music on a budget, just about anyone can successfully apply these ideas to their own situation. This is a must-have book for parents concerned about their child's education and development.
Rating:
Summary: Must-have for parents who care about child's development!
Review: To any parent who has struggled to get a child to practice any musical instrument, the chapter on practicing (chapter 5) is alone worth the price of Good Music Brighter Children. The book offers not only great encouragement to parents, but it contains many useful suggestions on helping the child or teen over those "I-want-to-quit" hurdles. This book backs up with solid research the position that music affects many aspects of development. Most interesting and readable are the anecdotes of how exposure to music has affected individuals and their families. This is not a book that will guide you in making a prodigy of your child. Its position is that music is a vital component of everyone's development. Many how-to books make grand claims with steps to follow that are impractical at best and usually unreachable by the average reader. Good Music Brighter Children is loaded with realistic suggestions for incorporating music into your child's (and your) life. Whether you take one or several of these suggestions, you're bound to see benefits in many areas of your family's life. From teaching values through music to exposing your kids to music on a budget, just about anyone can successfully apply these ideas to their own situation. This is a must-have book for parents concerned about their child's education and development.
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