Monthly Tips

Music & Executive Functioning

When you think about music and executive functioning skills, you may see them as two topics with little possibilities of intersection. After all, the excitement level for both is radically different and the willingness to engage with one is probably higher. I will be honest: until about a year ago, I counted myself as those who thought this way. However, since learning how to play the drums, I have come to understand that, as many reputable scholars have stated, “Learning music involves all the aspects that account for an effective training of executive functions.”[1] Music and executive functioning skills overlap in fascinating ways and reinforce the importance of building necessary life skills in fun ways.
[1] Diamond, Adele, and Kathleen Lee. “Interventions shown to aid executive function development in children 4 to 12 years old.” Science (New York, N.Y.) vol. 333,6045 (2011): 959-64. doi:10.1126/science.1204529

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Erica MechlinskiMusic & Executive Functioning