Neurodevelopment //
Whole Notes, Whole Brains: Understanding the Role of Music Training in Brain Development
Dr. Stephen will assess mathematic and cognitive skills of typically developing children in New Mexico and the role that music training can play in aquiring those skills. It is believed that with a greater music training experience that there will be improved cognitive performance, which in turn, will cause greater executive functioning will be related to better mathematic performance with large effects seen in children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Recent studies indicate that music programs designed for disadvantaged children provide measurable improvements in outcomes following music training (Kraus et al. 2014a; Kraus et al. 2014b; Slater et al. 2014). In New Mexico, only 20% of children are reaching mathematic proficiency at the 8th grade level, making this research highly relevant to the area.
