childhood music lessons improves brain function as we age!

this study was sent to me by Claire Westlake, a private piano teacher that is a lets play music connections certified teacher in Mesa.

Study Links Childhood Music Lessons With Better Brain Function in Older Adults

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

April 22, 2011 -- Learning to play a musical instrument as a child may help keep the mind sharp for years after the last note is played.
A new study suggests childhood music lessons may improve brain function and combat the effects of aging on the brain.
Researchers found older adults who took music lessons as a child performed better on memory and brain function tests than those who never learned how to read music or play an instrument.
The benefits of childhood music lessons on brain function were still evident decades later even if they never played music again as adults. But the study suggests the longer the participants played an instrument, the bigger the benefits may be.
"Musical activity throughout life may serve as a challenging cognitive exercise, making your brain fitter and more capable of accommodating the challenges of aging," says researcher Brenda Hanna-Pladdy, PhD, of the University of Kansas Medical Center, in a news release. "Since studying an instrument requires years of practice and learning, it may create alternate connections in the brain that could compensate for cognitive declines as we get older."

thank you 3rd years for makin my 40th a day to remember

My husband involved my 3rd year students in on a surprise during class time as i taught on my birthday. He had Slaton hide out on the front porch and give each child a flower and something with the 40 party to wear while i taught. each child graciously took on this task and presented me with flowers, which have not died yet; and party stuff that i had to wear while i taught my lessons. it was a fun day to remember for sure! i am really glad they got to be a part of it...this is my Thanks to them!!!!