Clatter and Buried Melodies

From a description of vibraphonist Gary Burton published in TED 9 (Teaching, Entertainment, Design) Fast Company, 1999, an apology for music

Burton believes the pleasure of music has a formative impact on the brain. In a sense, entertainment is education. It helps a child grow. At certain early ages, Burton says, the playing of musical instruments can awaken certain neural pathways in the brain to a new level of intelligence and dexterity — physical, emotional, and intellectual. "Musical information is deeply embedded in the brain," he says. "Alzheimer's patients, long after they have forgotten faces and names, can still sing songs they learned as children."

I think there is a bit of slippage here between learning to play an instrument and recalling songs. The level of engagement of mind and body, I would presume, is greater in learning to play an instrument than in simply learning how to sing a song. I may be wrong. However, the point that Burton is making need not be embellished by recourse to brain talk and chatter about neural pathways. Simple to state that learning to play music enables physical, emotional and intellectual dexterity.

And so for day 743
25.12.2008