Tis the Season!

Christmas is the perfect time to give the gift of music or art! In a time of economic uncertainty, if you have to pick only one enrichment activity for your child, let it be music or art. The study of music and art helps to lay a solid foundation for lifelong participation in and appreciation for the arts.

There is also evidence that the study of music is helpful in the academic realm. A recent study by Harvard Medical School tested the effects of instrument study on both verbal and nonverbal test scores with 59 students. The students that were studying music had higher test scores than those who did not study music; verbal scores were 15% higher and nonverbal scores were 10% higher. Ellen Winner, the author of the study, writes that it makes sense that thinking musically would facilitate other thought processes: "Music involves grasping patterns, and the nonverbal reasoning task involves grasping patterns".

This Christmas, give the lifelong gift of music or art! CSA offers a variety of music and art programs for students of all ages. Please visit our website for more information! (and stay tuned for a new website in the coming months...) Merry Christmas!

An Early Childhood Music class at Community School of the Arts