An article resulting from the Didge Project (see link below), describes the therapeutic impact of music in providing medical benefits such as: • Music Helps Control Blood Pressure and Heart-Related Disorders • Listening and Playing Music Helps Treat Stress and Depression • Music Therapy Helps Treat Alzheimer’s Disease • Studying Music Boosts Academic Achievement in High Schoolers • Playing Guitar (and Other Instruments) Aids in Treating PTSD • Studying Music Boosts Brain Development in Young Children • Music Education Helps Children Improve Reading Skills • Listening To Music Helps Improve Sleep • Playing Didgeridoo Helps Treat Sleep Apnea Click to follow link to: Music Benefits Research

Article References: • Cardiovascular Society of Great Britain • Psychology Today • McGill University in Canada • The Namm Foundation • Alzheimer’s Foundation of America • UCLA • The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs • University of Liverpool • SAGE Publications/Psychology of Music • The Center for Cardiovascular Disease in China • British Medical Journal

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Link to article at musical-u.com titled: 9 Ways Learning An Instrument Strengthens Your Brain

NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) research foundation, The NAMM Foundation, sponsored research that determined that: • there is a strong connection between rhythm skills and pre- reading abilities in toddlers • music enhances fine motor skills • everyday listening skills are stronger in musically-trained children who also pay attention, and keep sounds in memory • children who attended and participate in music classes showed improvements in how the brain processes speech • children who participate in music attain higher reading scores

Follow link to view an animated TED talk that describes research focused on understanding How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain (by Anita Collins) Research looked at brain activities when: 1. Listening to music 2. Playing music 3. Reading a book Both music listening and playing activities showed a much higher increase in brain activity. Playing music covers multiple areas of the brain concurrently processing intricate information.