Music, Emotions, and Education
Throughout history, people who love music have pointed to songs and compositions that made their hearts race and “sent shivers down the spine.”
Today strong emotional responses to music (SEMs) are not only measured scientifically, they are used to understand how the brain works — and what this implies for educators, today and in the future.
“Music making is an excellent paradigm to study motor learning,” writes researcher Eckart Altenmüller, adding that high-definition 3-D brain scans have helped him and other researchers “apply this knowledge to optimize learning strategies.”
Professor Altenmüller will be talking about the effects of of music education on brain development and children’s education in an April 22 lecture, part of this year’s 50th anniversary celebration of the John F. Kennedy School. Professor Altenmüller is head of the Department of Music-Physiology and Musician’s Medicine at the University of Music and Theater, in Hannover.
“He’s doing fascinating work on the effect that music-making has on children’s development, learning and social abilities,” says project organizer Katja Hippler-Gromis. “One thing he’s exploring is the extent to which our music perception relies on something that is shared by everyone, around the globe.”
Dr. Altenmüller will deliver his presentation (in German with some English Q&A) at 8 p.m., April 22, in the Apollosaal at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. There will be a 40 minute lecture followed by 20 minutes of Q & A. Guests will be asked for a 2-Euro donation at the door, to cover costs.
For this presentation, JFKS is working with a project partner: Musikkindergarten Berlin, founded by renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim. The April lecture also provides a rare opportunity to see the Staatsoper before it closes for three years of renovations.
For more information about this JFKS-50 event, contact:
Katja Hippler-Gromis
Musikkindergarten Berlin
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