Posted on 10/19/2002 7:55:23 AM PDT by MadIvan
Mozart has brought a dramatic improvement to maths lessons at a primary school.
Teachers have also noted better behaviour, motivation and speed of learning amongst four- to 11-year-olds in a year-long pilot scheme to assess whether listening to music stimulates the brain in an academic context.
As one test, one Year 6 class was played Mozart during maths lessons for a term while another was taught normally.
Pupils subjected to the background music performed 10 per cent better than their counterparts.
Doulla Simon, the head teacher, said: "We have found that Mozart symphonies which have complicated note patterns stimulate mathematical thinking. The music reaches certain parts of the brain which other composers do not."
Before yesterday's assembly at Windhill School in Mexborough, South Yorks, Vivaldi's Four Seasons could be heard from the new £1,000 audio system provided by Doncaster education authority.
Tapes and CDs are played through lessons and break times, mostly classical and many supplied by the teachers although the pupils' favourite music is accepted if deemed suitable.
The project is an adaptation of the accelerated learning programme for schools developed by the educationalist Alistair Smith.
Chopin and Brahms are also used for assemblies, Beethoven is used as a calming influence and when pupils are given time to sit and think alone they can listen to Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings.
However, pop music is also used to accompany more active moments, such as moving tables for group work.
One 10-year-old, Gabrielle Axe, said: "Pop gees us up, classical calms us down. Music is better when you are moving and gets you to walk instead of run."
Paul Sydney, a music teacher, said: "It is early days yet but they respond to the music, they settle better and it creates an atmosphere. It gives them a different attitude and heightened awareness."
And when a teacher wants a classroom tidied up, the perfect choice of music has been found to be Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumble Bee.
As for Mozart - they have found that playing it to young children, even playing it around pregnant mothers, is good for babies overall health and intelligence. The man was obviously writing with God's assistance.
Regards, Ivan
HOURS OF STUDY
Stations play classical music as deterrent to vandalismLONDON (AP) - A rail company revealed its latest weapon against vandalism Friday - classical music.
First Great Eastern Railway, which runs services to areas north and east of London, has been piping the works of Beethoven and Mozart onto platforms at three stations, because it says this deters youths from congregating and vandalizing station property.
Popular classical tunes are being played in the evenings at Burnham, Rochford and Hockley stations, northeast of London, a spokeswoman said.
"We carried out a trial at (nearby) Harold Wood station and vandalism was reduced", the spokeswoman said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The youths tend to congregate at these particular stations and for safety reasons we don't want them messing about there. It is quite widely used in Germany, and it was something we were happy to try and seems to have worked."
The spokeswoman said the music, which is played on a compact disc player, is kept at a subtle volume so passengers can hear announcements on the public address system.
Delibes apparently drives them most mad. Good. I hate these teenage layabouts who do nothing but consume fast food and think shouting the F word is a substitute for speaking English well.
Regards, Ivan
Regards, Ivan
Regards, Ivan
My parents always played classical music at home as well. These classics are works of art that help me to rise above all the bad elements of every day life.
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