| President Harry S. Truman, the man in the White | | | | part of a standardized intelligence test) scored |
| House when the United States intervened on | | | | 48% higher than the control group while a second |
| behalf of the millions of innocent people who were | | | | study done at the University of California, Irvine |
| being displaced and massacred by Hitler's Nazi | | | | on what has been called the "Mozart Effect" |
| Germany, claimed to have practiced his piano | | | | shows a increased IQ score of nine points. |
| lessons for two hours every morning during his | | | | In another study the Bulgarian psychologist |
| childhood. Likewise, President Warren Harding was | | | | George Lozanov discovered that playing Baroque |
| said to be able to play every instrument except | | | | instrumental music in the background had a |
| the trombone and the clarinet. Franklin Delano | | | | profound effect on student's ability to learn and |
| Roosevelt (FDR) played the organ. Of course we | | | | retain a foreign language. The key is that highly |
| all remember President Clinton and his saxophone, | | | | structured, highly organized music seems to help |
| but did you know that President Nixon was an | | | | the human brain to function in a more organized |
| accomplished pianist? | | | | and efficient manner while further studies have |
| And more recently a girl who was a musician long | | | | shown that discordant music actually has a |
| before she became an academic and then a | | | | negative effect on the brain. |
| world-famous diplomat, our own globetrotting | | | | Studying music is the perfect way to derive its |
| Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is a very | | | | benefits. At least one study has shown that |
| accomplished classical pianist. As she was growing | | | | young children can gain the spatio-temporal |
| up in the Rice home music was a family affair, | | | | reasoning effects mentioned above just by |
| and as early as age 3 Condi played piano at family | | | | learning to play the piano or organ. Likewise, |
| gatherings. Her Dad was a minister and she often | | | | through the study of music we have the discipline |
| accompanied her organist Mother in church. The | | | | of practice to expose us to great music |
| name "Condoleezza" is from the Italian phrase con | | | | regardless of our age. Besides for the effect of |
| dolcezza, which refers to playing music "with | | | | the music, studying music teaches discipline and |
| sweetness." While other kids in her neighorhood | | | | the relationship between hard work and reward |
| were playing outdoors, she was more likely to be | | | | and there is little in life more rewarding than to |
| found practicing the piano or reading a book. | | | | hear beautiful music coming forth as a result of |
| The list goes on, but the real question is why do | | | | one's own effort. |
| people with musical training tend to achieve more | | | | "Music education opens doors that help children |
| in life? There are differing theories about that, but | | | | pass from school into the world around them; a |
| studies have shown a direct correlation between | | | | world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and |
| music and the brain's ability to adapt to the world | | | | human involvement. The future of our nation |
| around it. One such test showed that people that | | | | depends on providing our children with a complete |
| had listened to just ten minutes of Mozart's | | | | education that includes music." Gerald Ford, former |
| "Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major" and then | | | | President, United States of America. |
| took a spatio-temporal reasoning test (which is a | | | | |