(From The Dallas Morning News’ Local Edition)
When you hear a four-year-old child play the violin beautifully with extraordinary ease, you may wonder how her special gifts were discovered. But rather than digging into a child’s inborn talents, Love Nurtured Music‘s youngest students work on their musical and violin skills along with their parents on a daily basis, as one might do to memorize multiplication tables or the periodic table.
“We assume that every child can develop abilities to play the violin,” says Rigo Murillo, Love Nurtured Music’s founder and violin teacher. Murillo believes that musical talent is not born, but it is developed through listening, imitation, repetition, and the natural motivation that results when children play music together in their violin group classes.
According to a Scientific American article, neuroscientists examined the benefits of learning and practicing music. They found a direct correlation of music learning to the enhancement of general learning ability, another confirmation of the premise that music makes people smarter.
The researchers found that “assiduous instrument training from an early age can help the brain to process sounds better, making it easier to stay focused when absorbing other subjects, from literature to tensor calculus.” They also discovered that music lessons improves memory and concentration throughout one’s life and boosts the ability to multitask, work in disruptive environments and learning other languages.
This information comes handy at a time when many schools and education administrators are deciding to cut music and arts programs as a first resource. A report mentioned in the article found that, for example, the number of students enrolled in music programs in California dropped 50% from 1999 to 2004.
Recent research studies in brain development have pointed out the massive role that serious music study plays in young children’s abilities and psychological growth. Murillo’s goal is “to help children develop their musical abilities beyond what most parents think is possible.”
But the idea that musical talents can be affected by training is not new. The concept of ability development applied to music learning started when Shinichi Suzuki, a Japanese violin teacher began to teach violin to infants in Matsumoto in 1946.
“There is no physically-healthy child who won’t develop the ability needed to play the violin,” Murillo says.
Nolan, the parent of one of the young violinists says, “under Rigo’s guidance I’ve watched my daughter progress tremendously, and we look forward to a continued partnership with Rigo in the future.”
As a requisite for children to be admitted in the program, Murillo asks student parents to direct a daily practice regimen and play a prearranged music recording playlist at home. Murillo’s students take weekly one-on-one violin lessons, participate in group music classes, and perform for the community on a regular basis. Parents are always present during the program’s activities, so they can conduct effective home practice sessions.
The Richardson-based music establishment has lately flooded with young student’s parents wanting to try the all-inclusive musical approach. Students are admitted as young as three years old. Parents are required to observe a number of studio lessons before they commit to enroll their children in the music program.
To find out more about Love Nurtured Music’s young children’s music program, call 214-269-8545 or visit www.LoveNurturedMusic.org.
