Our first meeting...  anticipating...  not sure which room, which door...  It all came together in a great way!  We have a YouTube video that sounds pretty good for a first rehearsal and lots of smiles.  We have an orchestra room set-up now on the second floor of the new building.  You come into the North door and go up the back stairs.

We played for about an hour and a half, tried out many selections. We had a lot of fun.  Word is that ten students from Mountain Phoenix will be joining us next Monday!

We welcome all who are interested.  You can just show up or give us an email or call at 303-888-6690.

From Psychology Today online

There is mounting evidence that music training benefits skills and areas that are non-musical in nature. Musicians tend to score higher on verbal and math tests. There are differences in the motor and sensory processing areas of a musician's brain. Musicians also have greater aural acuity, meaning they can more accurately process pitch. Plus the earlier you start in your music training, the greater the benefits.

Intuitively none of this is surprising given the overlapping skills involved in certain musical and non-musical tasks (e.g. you use your fine motor skills when learning the piano and when typing on a computer), and the concept of use-dependent development. This concept refers to the role experiences have in helping to sculpt the developing brain. The areas and networks that activated more frequently (i.e., those that are used more often) are larger and more robust than those not activated as frequently.

These, though, are the extrinsic benefits of being an active learner of music. Extrinsic referring to, of course, those non-musical perks of being a musician. And although there is value to the extrinsic benefits—including some important enrichment-based opportunities for children with access to fewer resources—it begs the question…what about the intrinsic benefits?

The intrinsic benefits are a little harder to define (at least for this musician). But they are there. These are the benefits that are more self-gratifying. They are generally emotionally- or psychologically-based. And although there may be some commonalities among musicians in the intrinsic benefits they feel, it’s generally a more personal, individualized experience. The intrinsic benefits felt by one musician may not be the same as those felt by another.

As for this musician, here are 5 intrinsic benefits I have gained:

#1: Immense Emotional Pleasure

As with most people, listening to music elicits a variety of emotions—happiness, tenderness, sadness, nostalgia. Know what’s better than listening to beautiful music? Playing it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s felt while playing piano alone in my house or from performing in front of a crowd, the happiness—elation even—that follows playing a beautiful piece of music is almost addictive.

#2: An Insta-Social Network

I’ve often felt that being a music major in college helped ease any anxiety I may have felt during this major life change. It didn’t matter that I now lived 1500 miles away from home, being in the marching band gave me an instant social network that began before school even started. And I’ve carried that benefit to multiple schools and internships in multiple states—a connection to a group of people with similar interests and experiences as me.

#3: Laughter

There are times that the music I am listening to causes me to laugh. It’s generally not the words that elicits this reaction, but some a little less tangible—it’s how the composer structured the music or the musical nuance a performer added that causes the chuckle. Better yet, I've found that this happens more frequently the more experienced I become as a musician. I laugh more at—and with—the music.

#4: Challenging Growth

Being a musician makes you work. You work your fine and gross motor skills, you work your analytical skills, you work to be emotional and to connect with an audience. You persist and practice over and over again. You perform and make mistakes, then go back to the practice room. It challenges multiple intellectual and emotional areas, but if you love learning like me—that challenge is priceless.

#5: Gratifying Accomplishment

The other side of the challenge coin is the gratifying feeling you get when you finally make it. When you have a great music therapy session. When you nail a particular piece of music. That feeling may not last long—you may be back at that practice room the next morning—but it’s yours to carry and hold.

NPR's Cory Turner writes:

I went to Los Angeles to report a story on brain science. A new study had just been released, exploring how music instruction helps kids process language. The children the researchers studied were all participants in a community music program run by the nonprofit Harmony Project.

But after an hour talking with passionate staffers at the group's office in Hollywood — and then recording an hour of music lessons there — I knew I had a compelling second story, that of Harmony Project and the woman who created it.

“You teach music because the lessons that you learn serve you in your life and make you live a better, more functional life the same way the lessons you learn in math help you live a better, more functional life."

The group provides instruments (trombones, trumpets, oboes, flutes, strings, drums, you name it) and free lessons to kids in many of LA's toughest neighborhoods. It also sends teachers into the schools for onsite after-school lessons twice a week. Throw in a rehearsal each Saturday, and you have a program that gives much and asks much in return — which is one reason its students keep signing up.

And then there's Margaret Martin, who founded Harmony Project in 2001 after a tumultuous early life. At 17, she gave birth to her first child; she later spent a year homeless on the streets of Los Angeles while parenting two kids. A survivor of domestic violence, Martin eventually earned a doctorate in public health from UCLA.

Here are selected excerpts from our conversation, on the beginnings of Harmony Project and why it matters.

Why did you found Harmony Project?

I was inspired. A group of hardcore Los Angeles gang members walked through a farmers market on a Sunday morning: teardrop tattoos, oversized clothing, attitude. They stopped to listen to a little kid playing Brahms on a tiny violin. After five or six minutes without saying a word to one another, I watched those gang members pull out their own money and lay it gently in the child's case. [Turns out that "little kid" was Martin's son Max.]

Amir Pinkney-Jengkens, 8, is learning trombone through Harmony Project, a nonprofit that provides musical instruments and instruction to children in low-income communities. Recent research suggests that such musical education may help improve kids' ability to process speech.  I was at UCLA at the time finishing a doctorate in public health focused on what it takes to make a healthy community, and those gang members taught me that they would rather be doing what that child was doing than what they were doing. But they never had the chance. So I dove into the research literature and discovered that music learning was linked to improvements in language, cognition, music, brain development and behavior.

How would you describe the neighborhoods where Harmony Project is working?

They are the highest crime neighborhoods in Los Angeles. [The city] designate[s] gang-reduction zones for rates of violent gang crime that are at least 400 percent greater than anywhere else in the city. Something you don't always hear about: These are also the neighborhoods with the highest fertility rates, so they have also got the highest number of little kids and really nothing much for the kids to do after school hours. ...

With public schools across the country cutting music instruction to save money, the Harmony Project in Los Angeles is trying to make up the difference.

So I founded Harmony Project to help keep disadvantaged kids safe, in school and out of trouble. It was basically a public health approach. If they were in music classes or rehearsals or practicing their instruments at home, it would reduce their exposure to negative influences in their environment and it would increase their exposure to the positive influences of music teachers and conductors.

One thing we know for sure, and that is that if we want to get serious about closing the achievement gap for disadvantaged kids, we should provide five days a week of music instruction in every Title 1 inner-city school in the country, from K through grade five. If you do that, you could save a whole lot of money on remediation, and you'd save a whole lot more money on juvenile incarceration because ... we don't have behavior problems with our students. They learn how to work together from an early age, and those are lessons that they never lose.

And yet you and I both know that music programs are the first thing on the chopping block in district after district these days.

It's been going on for decades like that. You know, we talk about, "Oh, music programs are getting chopped," but it's been a death by a thousand cuts, because you used to have five-day-a-week programs. Kids could really thrive that way. And then you said, "Well, you know, why don't we just give them one lesson a week?" So then you had the music specialist go around to three or four schools.

When my son was in public elementary school there was a music teacher trying to teach six instruments to 40 kids one hour a week. And kids think that they couldn't learn; what they don't realize is that they were in a program where nobody could learn. It was sort of designed to fail, so it's just not fair.

“We need these things. We need to learn how to be precise, how to listen carefully, how to collaborate closely, how to express ourselves whether we're in the depths of despair or whether we feel joyful.

I was speaking to one curriculum specialist at a school district. She said, "Oh, all of our kids get music. The second-graders get music for eight weeks. The third-graders get music for eight weeks. The fourth-graders get music for eight weeks. The fifth-graders and so forth."

I mean, that would be like saying, "Oh, everyone gets math. The second-graders get math for eight weeks. The third-graders get math for eight weeks. The fourth-graders get math for eight weeks." And, like math, you don't teach music in order to make musicians, and you don't teach math in order to make mathematicians.

You teach music because the lessons that you learn serve you in your life and make you live a better, more functional life the same way the lessons you learn in math help you live a better, more functional life.

I mean, we need these things. We need to learn how to be precise, how to listen carefully, how to collaborate closely, how to express ourselves whether we're in the depths of despair or whether we feel joyful. ...

It's ... music, it's an authentic good. So, for all of those policy wonks out there who think music is just some enrichment tool, I'm sorry. Music is now permanently off the shelf with the warm fuzzies, and it's on the shelf with the rigorous, scientifically proven, evidence-based interventions that close the achievement gap for poor kids.

What do you see among the kids who either seek you out or that Harmony Project finds: Are these overachievers, or are they truly a cross-section of every neighborhood in which you work?

Let me tell you this. So, a dad walks up to me after a recital. And he says, "I didn't know what to do. I was losing my son. He was going with the wrong crowd. And then Harmony Project showed up. For the last three years he's been playing with a Harmony Project orchestra. He's a smiling, responsible kid." Tears filled that dad's eyes, and he said, "Thank you for my son."

Over and over, I'll have a student say, "You know, Harmony Project has really helped me. I have friends that are into a lot of bad stuff, and they say, 'Come with us.' And I say, 'I have to go to rehearsal.' " And then they say, "So it really helps me."

It gives them something else to do, something else that they're about. Something that's about achievement. They set different goals. They actually say, "I'm thinking about possibilities I never would have imagined."

The Guardian's list of some of the best tweeters out there covering everything from lesson planning to music based chat.  These are the teachers out there keeping the subject alive on social media channels. Feel free to share other recommendations in the comments or GoldenMusicColo and follow #musicteachers for more tips and ideas.

Laura Jackson, @mrsjacksonmusic  Secondary school teacher Laura starts most of her tweets or posts with a music clip or picture. She blogs about enriching the learning experience for children by finding out what motivates them. Laura also showcases a range of creative techniques as demonstrated below to help get children excited about music.   We love this tweet and (more or less ... ahem) cracked the code.  Laura uses videos that tell stories through music in class to help children connect emotionally to the songs. In the past students have been reduced to tears, she writes.

Nadine Andre, @nadineonkeys  An established pianist and music teacher, Nadine thinks every child should have the chance to learn how to play an instrument because it can have a big impact on their development.  Her Twitter feed is a fun mix of updates about her own classical music work and her favourite foods.  She also shares all her favourite comments, blogs and inspiring quotes.  With a focus on the health benefits music can bring Nadine says we must move away from being just about results.  She offers advice for those who write their own music on how to get it written down and heard.

Anna Gower, @tallgirlwgc  Anna is head of community music at Monk’s Walk School. She is an advanced skills teacher and never planned to teach music but her involvement in her local council music service led her to become development director at Musical Futures (@musicalfutures), a programme to re-engage kids with music in school.  She often uses her own experiences in her reflective blogs, which cover a range of subjects. She writes: “I think I was incredibly lucky and the reason I studied music to a high level was because of the strong foundations I had from the very start of primary school.”

Ben Jose, @Mrjosemusic   Ben gives his pupils at Cotham Co-operative Academy clear steps towards progression as well as teaching musical terminology via his Music Making Map, which we were very impressed with. His blog is relatively new and you can read his first post here.

Alex Laing, @AlexLaing   As well as head of strings at Uppingham School, Alex is founder and artistic director of the Darwin Ensemble Chamber Orchestra. His twitter feed is a mix of the comment articles he likes and lots of information about classical music.

Liz Gleed, @MrsGleedMusic   A keen choral conductor, Liz teaches at Bristol Cathedral Choir School, a non-selective 11-18 specialist music academy in Bristol. She loves the rewards and challenges of her role. She recently shared her new year resolutions in a blog - number one on her list was to keep singing at the heart of her  classroom.  Read more of Liz’s new term resolutions.

@ukmusiced  If you feel like getting involved in music based conversation, @ukmusiced (a twitter-based chat forum) run a Twitter forum for 30 minutes every Sunday evening at 9pm.

from BuzzFeed

So what does it mean, now, for a musician to become ‘famous’? We talked to seven artists about how they measure and experience fame. Turns out social media is a pretty big deal, and that having a big personality is just as important as making great songs.

Meghan Trainor, 20, hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart with “All About That Bass”

I have 20,000 followers on Instagram, but that ain’t nothin’ nowadays. [Ed.: Trainor now has almost 100,000 Instagram followers.] So I don’t consider myself famous at all. But I mean, T-Pain called me? I was like, “You know who I am?” So that was a pretty big step up. I got to talk to John Legend too. That makes you feel a little cooler. And all this glam squad team stuff? These cars that pick you up and your name’s on them? Definitely makes you feel like a baller.

I got a fan group now, called Megatrons. Me and my friends were struggling, thinking, like, “Should we call my fans Trainors, or Trainees?” I was like, “That sounds awful?” Then my friend looked at me and said, “Let’s just do Megatrons.” And I was like, “Yeah, badass.” My mom hates it. You know, the other day, she said to me, “I can’t keep up with all the famous people following you on Twitter.”

Tinashe, 21, singer and producer, will release debut album in October

The biggest [mark of success for a musician] is being able to sell out shows, to play venues and have people come to you to see you. Getting a song to top the charts. Maybe winning a Grammy.

For a ‘famous’ person, when they leave their personal space, people recognize them. They can’t go anywhere by themselves. The way people treat you starts to change. People can become fake and less genuine. When you’re a famous musician people are much more fanatical about you. They get really, really invested in you.

Paparazzi don’t stalk me everywhere I go. For the most part, I feel like I can be relatively normal.

Ray J, singer, star of VH1’s Love & Hip-Hop Hollywood

People think they’re famous because they got a million Twitter followers. People think they’re famous if they have 800,000 Instagram followers. People think they’re famous ‘cause they made it on Bossip or WorldStar — people’s lives change when they’re on WorldStar, for that one day! There’s so many ways to be famous, so I can’t call it. I just know that whatever you’re doing and whatever fame you get — bottle it up and sell it. ‘Cause a lot of people get into the fame but they don’t find a way to put it in a bag and put it on some kind of platform and get some money off of it.

If you can crack the code of television, that’s a good way to get people’s attention. Everybody wants to get on TV — there are billionaires who want to have a television show. But you can’t buy yourself into a TV show. It’s gotta be dope and it’s gotta be authentic. It’s gotta be something people want to gravitate to. If you have a dope product and you’re a talented person, get people’s attention so they want you. Make people want you.

Mary Lambert, 25, singer-songwriter and author, co-wrote Mackelmore’s hit Same Love”

I’m not famous. I’m quasi-famous. At least I don’t think I’m famous. If I’m famous, will someone let me know? I’ve been waiting for a royal scroll from Kim Kardashian or the Scientologists or something. The bottom line is, I am always me. I still lay around naked, eating Cheez-Its while watching The Colbert Report on Hulu which is precisely what I did before “Same Love.”

My perception of fame is mostly media saturation resulting in recognition from strangers. I tend to see those interactions [with strangers] in a myriad of ways: “You are so excited to meet me! That is so cool!” to “Please don’t ask for a photo, this is a funeral,” or “This was so cool until you told me to follow you on Instagram!” I really crave honest connections with people, but sometimes [these meetings] end in me feeling invaded or less like a human and more like a commodity. (Hopefully this doesn’t come across as a complaint, more of an observation; I’m way better off now than when I was sleeping on all my friend’s couches).

We are now in an era where it’s expected of artists to have not only their music be consumed, but their actual personhood. The product of music is not what is solely consumed anymore — you as a person are now a commodity. We’re also in a time when so many different people are getting recognized for things that they do well. There’s also no longer a formula for any of it. So many of the No. 1 songs this summer (“Stay With Me,” “Rude,” “Am I Wrong,” “All About That Bass”) were sung by newcomers who didn’t seem to fit a major label calculation. I think that reflects our culture’s hunger for authenticity.

I can’t really fathom what it’s like to be Harry Styles or Katy Perry. Your entire life is under a microscope. An interaction with you wins the ultimate trophy of bragging rights forever. How many truly genuine conversations can you have with a human being when you are commodified like that?

Fame freaks me out in a lot of ways. It’s a double-edged sword I guess. I feel like there is this thing inside of me — these stories, lessons in healing, answers for trauma, a hunger to dismantle stigma, an invitation for vulnerability, a quest for subversive social justice within pop music — that could potentially reach millions of people. That would make me happy. And I’d love to buy my mom a beach house. It would be so fucking cool if I could have all of these awesome perks without sacrificing beautiful human connection. Maybe I can have it all — I don’t know. Or maybe the next time you talk to me, I’ll be wearing my sunglasses indoors, and writing songs about all five of my Subaru Outbacks. (The life!)

Bobby Shmurda, 20, rapper, signed a deal after his song “Hot N****” went viral on Vine

I didn’t want this. It happened. All the stuff that happened in my life? I didn’t call it, it just happened. But I’m glad I’m in this life. I don’t wanna sleep in a house with crackheads all day for money, going to jail if someone tells on me. I wanna make money and lay on the beach somewhere. And smile up in shows.

I seen Beyonce doing the Shmoney Dance. My mom was going crazy. And they pay me to go to parties now. It’s crazy. I love parties. If I can get paid and go to parties? Why not? I love parties.

Metro Boomin, 21, producer, go-to collaborator for rap stars like Future, Wiz Khalifa, and Migos

I have a lot of hit songs out and I got a lot of shit I’m proud of, but none of it makes me feel like I’m famous. I don’t know what that feels like. Maybe when I got some millions saved up, I’ll at least feel famous to myself. But I’m not famous till I’m walking around in New York, right out here outside of BuzzFeed, and everybody knows who I am like they do in Atlanta.

I think I [promote myself] just as much as I make music. Automatically, people don’t take producers as seriously as artists. So you’ve gotta make your own identity and your own sense of stardom, so everything you do comes off as if you were rapping.

I go a lot of places with Future, and things are different for him. A lot of people always want to take a picture. He’s not rude, he’ll do it sometimes, but sometimes you can’t take a picture. You’ll take one, and then you gotta take a picture with everybody.

Niykee Heaton, 19, YouTube cover song performer turned major label singer

In today’s society, “fame” is something much different than what it used to be. Now, 13-year-old kids punching one another in the face on Vine are considered celebrities. I feel famous sort of, I guess in a way. I feel famous when random teenage girls and boys come up to me in the mall, shaking with tears in their eyes, asking for a photo. But then again, when I consider myself on the larger scale, next to Rihanna and Lady Gaga, I still feel small. I feel like a nobody. I still have a lot to prove, so I guess I would consider myself semi-famous. And I’m fine with that for now.

To most, fame is having a song in the top five on the iTunes charts, being voted Best New Artist at the VMAs, or reaching 10 million followers on Instagram. But I don’t consider that fame, or at least it’s not the kind of fame that I want. Reaching fame for me, is having your 4-year-old nephew singing the words to your song at the same time your grandma is bobbing her head to it on the radio. It’s having fans that look up to me so much that they are willing to tattoo my lyrics on their skin. It’s having my song listed on the top 100 Best Songs of All Time 30 years from now. For me, to be regarded as a “famous musician,” it is imperative that I create real music that makes an impact. Maybe it only affects a single life, or perhaps it sparks a global movement, but as a musician, I feel it is my duty and role to create something bigger than me, not just wear the term “celebrity.”

From PBS

Here are some components to consider when helping your child choose the right instrument.

The first thing to consider is your child’s age. If your child is younger than six, make sure you understand the purpose behind playing an instrument at such a young age and acknowledge the physical limitations of a child that young. Piano and violin are the most popular instruments for children under six because they help build a foundation for your child to choose a different instrument at a later age, should they want to do so.

The violin is a smart choice because the instrument can be manufactured in particularly small sizes, making it easier for younger children to handle. Although instruments like the guitar are also available in smaller sizes, the violin is advantageous in its lack of frets or keys, allowing your child to focus solely on the sounds produced. In addition, this helps kids learn to play in tune, and the bowing of the right hand teaches the concept of musical phrasing. Both of these skills are the foundation for playing most other instruments.

Although a child doesn’t control the tune or pitch of the keys on a piano and there is no “bowing” skill necessary, the piano has its own advantages. For example, playing the piano allows musicians to play both the melody and harmony simultaneously, thus teaching important perceptual and musical skills. The piano also provides a visual representation of music that is essential to understanding music theory. In summary, choosing either of these introductory instruments is a wise decision for young children.

From WikiHow

The ability to play a musical instrument is a wonderful thing, and you can never start too early. Children are curious and imaginative by nature, and many will be able to pick up music very quickly, and develop a love for it. The ability to play an instrument and read music will be infinitely helpful later in your child's life, and studies have shown that music can help make a child smarter, develop giftedness, more mature, and more confident. If they're not yet out of elementary school, a good musical background will help them to succeed in middle and high school bands, setting an example for all of their peers.

Step 1: Set an example and motivate your child

If you have any musical talent, play your instrument in front of your child, and answer their curious questions. Let them experiment with it (within reason really young children probably shouldn't be messing with your oboe, especially unsupervised). Talk about your days in school band, how much fun you had back when you took piano lessons, and other things that will pique their interest. Take note if they show a particular interest in a certain instrument.

Step 2: Expose your child to music

Start early - when your child is very young, play quiet music for them and let them fall asleep to CDs of classical music. Once they're older, take them to school and professional concerts, and point out certain instruments. You can also listen to music or watch videos of concerts together. Try to teach them to "feel" the music, and take note of the many things going on at once. Get into the habit of playing classical music in the background when you read, sew, or do something else relaxing. Try to teach them to "feel" the music, and take note of the many things going on at once.

Step 3: Talk to them about music lessons

Forcing your child to learn an instrument, or signing them up for lessons without telling them first, is not going to help foster the love and commitment to music that you want your child to develop. If you had any success with the previous step, they'll probably be eager to start. Ask if there's a particular instrument that they'd like to learn. They may want to try the same instrument you play, or they may say "I don't know", in which case, proceed.

Step 4: Look into your options

If your child is going into middle school, check to see what kind of band and/or orchestra programs are offered. If they're in elementary school, check and see if some of the older grades have a music program. Many elementary schools teach recorder, which is a great starter instrument. Some schools may even offer piano or guitar classes. Otherwise, what lessons are available in your area? To find music instructors, you may want to ask a band director or member of a local band or orchestra.

Step 5: Help your child choose an instrument

You'll want to take several things into consideration... among them, your child's commitment to music (it's possible that they'll lose interest next week... maybe it's not the best idea to go out and buy them a sousaphone), their size (don't give an 8 year old a tenor saxophone, as they won't be able to hold it or support it), and maturity (perhaps the most expensive instrument isn't a good idea, if it'll be in danger from reckless behavior). Once you've got a general idea of what you might be looking for, take them to a music store or arrange for them to meet with a band director to try a number of common "starter" instruments - these are as follows:

Step 7: Encourage your child to practice

Once they've started taking lessons or practicing with a group, the best way for them to excel at playing is to practice for at least half an hour or so every day. Don't be too harsh about forcing them, but make sure they understand how important it is to practice. Encourage and motivate them, and be sure to congratulate them when they do something exceptionally well.

As your child gets older and more mature, they might want to take up a second instrument, and become a multi-instrumentalist. If you think they can handle it, let them give it a try. Although they can't play both instruments in the same orchestra, they could play their current instrument in the band and just take regular lessons on a different instruments.

Be reasonable when helping the child choose an instrument. If your child could fit into the case, or the instrument is twice as tall as they are, you might want to go a little smaller. You also don't want to pick a rare or less heard-of instrument, such as a contrabass clarinet or mezzo-soprano saxophone. Instruments like these will be hard to find, even harder to find music for, and may be practically impossible to find a teacher for, and most band programs don't have a place for them. Why let them learn the contra-alto flute, only to find that they'll have to switch to a concert flute when they start playing in school.

Stereotypically, flute players are obnoxious, self-centered girly girls. However, there are plenty of successful male flute players, and most females aren't nearly that bad. Trumpet players are said to be big-headed, obnoxious guys, and have a general "I'm better than you" attitude", as well as egos that can be seen from space. Don't listen to this - girls can play the trumpet too, and there are plenty of nice trumpet players with much smaller egos. The list goes on. Although in every section, there may be a few players who conform to such stereotypes, most of the blanket statements just aren't true. Or fair.  Avoid stereotypes and the old standards. There's no rule that says your child should learn the violin, or that you have to force them to take piano lessons until they're teenagers. Many children learn to play other instruments such as the tuba or oboe as young children. Perhaps that kills some of the common stereotypes of child musicians, but if they do well with it, stereotypes should be the last thing on your mind.

Tuba or flute? Picking the right instrument for your child 
Music educators use body type and personality to determine best instrument for a child
Experts look at how outgoing a child is, lip size, height to make best match
Best advice for parents is to first let the child decide what he or she wants to play
Researchers say music training turns kids into more effective learners

(CNN) -- Most parents are probably so focused on just getting our kids to play an instrument that we don't give much thought to the question: "What's the right instrument for my child?"
Quite honestly, on the list of things I'm supposed to keep in mind as a parent, I never knew such a question existed. Until now.

Ron Chenoweth is the band and orchestra division manager for Ken Stanton Music, a Georgia-based music education company with nearly 100 teachers providing more than 1,000 lessons every week.  Part of Chenoweth's job includes managing a team that regularly goes into schools to help band directors determine what instrument each student should play. Two things he and his colleagues are always looking at are body type and personality.  

Best instruments for kids who like center stage
If a child likes to be the star of the show, Chenoweth might steer the child to the flute because flutists tend to stand in front of the band.  "I look for the kid that's smiley, happy, sometimes talkative, rather than just very, very quiet," said Chenoweth, who has been with Ken Stanton Music for 16 years. "They usually are asking questions and they'll say, 'Well, I want to do this because ... ' and so they're telling you their story.  Other instruments for extroverts, Chenoweth says, are the saxophone and trumpet.  "They tend to be lead instruments, whether a jazz band or a show band. They play that higher melodic part, and these kids tend to be almost uncontrollable at some point," he said with a laugh. "But they just are very outgoing. You don't really see the quiet ones go that way."

How body type factors in
Physical characteristics can determine the best instrument for a child too. Take the bassoon, for example, which isn't ideal for small kids.  "The bassoon, when assembled, is almost 6 feet tall, and the spread of the finger holes is ridiculous," he said.  Someone with very small lips might be better suited for the trumpet or French horn, while someone with larger lips might have trouble playing those instruments, according to Chenoweth.  "The cup size of a trumpet or a French horn would be too small, and they wouldn't actually be able to produce a good sound," said Chenoweth, who played the French horn in his high school and college marching bands and has been involved in music education ever since.  "And then sometimes you're surprised. ... Somebody you thought 'Oh, they'll never get the sound out of this trumpet,' and away they go."
I asked Chenoweth what personality and physical attributes might lead to success with other instruments:
• Oboe: An important trait for mastering this "very intricate" instrument is "above average intelligence," according to Chenoweth.  

  Tuba: An excellent choice for students with larger lips, he said.
• Trombone: The player's front teeth should be even. "You want a nice bite that shouldn't be in need of orthodontia," he said.
• Violin: Kids can start playing as early as 2 to 3 years old. "I think because they have varying sizes, it makes them rather universal," said Chenoweth, who started playing the clarinet in the fourth grade.
• Piano: Long fingers or large hands are desirable, and so is being a good thinker. "Physically they're going to need good dexterity with their hands," said Chenoweth. "You would probably look for a propensity to something analytical, somebody who might show a little bit of inquisitiveness."

Let them play what they want to play

Even before you start assessing whether an instrument matches your child's personality, or if they have the right body type for success, you should let your child be the guide, Chenoweth says.
"My first thing is you have to get them onto an instrument that they first are interested in because if there's little interest in playing it, there will be the same amount of success -- very little," he added.
Try not to push them to play what you played, said Chenoweth. "Private lessons at home with the parent are not necessarily going to be successful," he said with a laugh.
And always try to be supportive, even when it just might not be music to your ears.
"We all know that the sounds are not going to be great," said Chenoweth, but parents should try to stay positive. That means avoiding comments such as, " 'Oh here we go. Here's something new to try for three months and then you're going to give it up. Are you ever going to pick something that you're going to stick with?' "
The importance of music education in schools   Why music matters
Dr. Nina Kraus, professor of communication sciences, neurobiology, and physiology, and the director of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University, has been studying the impact of music training on a child's cognitive development for almost a decade. Her extensive research has been published in more than 200 journals and media publications.
Defining a musician as someone who plays music twice a week for 20 minutes, she and her team compare how the brains of musicians and non-musicians respond to sound and the impact music playing has on the musician's attention, language, memory and reading abilities.
"The same biological ingredients that are important for reading are those that are strengthened through playing a musical instrument," said Kraus. "The ability to categorize sounds, to pull out important sounds from background noise, to respond consistently to the sounds in one's environment ... these are all ingredients that are important for learning, for auditory learning, for reading, (and) for listening in classrooms."
Her findings, she said, have a clear message for policymakers and parents.  "It's not just about your child becoming a violinist," said Kraus, a mother of three whose children all played an instrument growing up. "It's about setting up your child to be a more effective learner for all kinds of things."
And the benefits continue even after a child stops playing, says Kraus.
"The brain continues to profit long after the music lessons have stopped," she said. (To visualize Kraus' extensive research and comprehensive findings, check out her slideshow.)
If my girls weren't already signed up for music lessons this fall (we're starting with piano!), I'd be signing them up today.   http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/09/living/parents-kids-body-type-music-instrument/