Having a recent conversation with a college freshmen, I asked “What kind of classes are you taking?” He revealed that he was taking; history, algebra, english, speech, computer science and music theory. I exclaimed that the music theory class sounded fun and was probably a nice break between english papers and history tests. “Actually,” he said “it’s the hardest class I have. I have played the guitar for years, but until now have never learned how to read music.”
Whether you’re a college student, elementary student or a senior citizen, music can be a great way to exercise your mind. Reading music requires the mind to decipher symbols such that determine the length of a note or when to pause. Math, and fractions specifically, are also explored by understanding the time signature that indicates how many beats are in a musical measure.
With this noted, music theory could pop up on any classroom whiteboard. History teachers might want to have a interactive lesson to study the meaning behind historic war songs. Math teachers might want to challange their students with word problems using musical timelines. The quadratic formula is commonly taught to high school students using familiar songs to help remember the formula.
Musical studies can take you to the center stage of a crowded arena or maybe just keep you entertained behind a music stand in your basement. There is a volume level for everyone. No worries if you don’t have a musical instrument, some people are just using everyday office furniture to create profitable sound effects.
