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Ashley Rutter (left),
Brent Smith (right) at the
2010 Gold Coast Band
Championships.
PHOTO: Kate Morrow |
(By Kate Morrow and Maggie Whish – Bond University Students)
Varsity Lakes students said they thought playing a musical instrument increased intelligence, supporting an international study’s findings.
A two-year study by the International Foundation of Music Research in Switzerland found music improved children’s reading and verbal skills.
Music student Catherine Stanley, 14, said music enhanced her academic ability.
“I do very well … and a lot of my friends who [study] music do very well at school too,” she said.
Local student Ashley Retter said he also believed there was a connection between studying music and learning a language.
“I play alto-saxophone, French horn, tenor horn and tenor saxophone … and I found Indonesian easy to pick up,” he said.
The Australian Music Association’s website said musicians’ brains were structurally and functionally different when compared with non-musicians.
Brass instrumentalist Brent Smith said he noticed the difference between his musical friends and his non-musical friends.
“You’ve got your school friends and then when you get to music it’s just a whole other world,” he said.
Varsity College music teacher Tenille Barrett said also thought playing an instrument enhanced a child's ability to think, learn, reason and create.
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