Chris Brewer, M.A., a noted authority on the integration of music throughout the curriculum, discusses the benefits of of music in our daily lives -- and the similar benefits of using music to enhance the learning environment.      She discusses the use of music to elicit specific reactions that energize, focus, inspire and create other positive states of mind. Excerpted, with permission, from Chris Brewer's Soundtracks for Learning: Using Music in the Classroom. Order from Chris Brewer     Order from Amazon.com

Prepare for Learning: Establish Attention, Attitude, and Atmosphere
     Music can:
     ♪ Create a welcoming atmosphere
     ♪ Facilitate a positive learning mood
     ♪ Regulate energy and attention levels
     ♪ Reduce learning stress levels
     ♪ Motivate students for learning
     ♪ Provide a creative classroom management tool
     ♪ Increase student interaction and build community
     ♪ Connect students to content topics

Present and Process: Make Learning Memorable
Music can
     ♪ Assist students in attaining productive learning states
     ♪ Encourage focus on information presentation
     ♪ Deepen understanding and reinforce memory through emotional associations
     ♪ Support a reflective state for reviewing information

Practice and Perform: Activate Understanding
     Music can
     ♪ Enhance writing, art, movement, and other learning experiences
     ♪ Provide a memory tool through rhythm and rhyme
     ♪ Stimulate imagination and creativity
     ♪ Make practicing fun
     ♪ Reduce performance anxiety

Celebrate!
     Music can
     ♪ Celebrate students’ accomplishments