7 music apps to boost the brain
Let’s face it, we live in a time where more children know how to operate a computer than ride a bike. While technology is becoming greatly enhanced in our school systems, music programs are constantly in danger of being cut from shrinking school budgets, even though repeated studies have shown to improve academics and develop the skills of special needs children.
It’s no secret music has established many therapeutic benefits. Music boost kids brainpower, supports memory loss, helps kids interact socially and builds confidence, teaches patience, refines discipline, fosters creativity, increases academic scores, and so on. The simplicity of downloading an app on your smart device without spending a fortune on a musical instrument or one-on-one lessons is making music education an effective tool for learning an instrument or sheet music. If music programs fade away in schools, then technology will fill the void. But there are many ways we can amplify music programs in our schools with the use of new technologies.
Benefits
Studies show children who participate in music education have a broader vocabulary and more advanced reading skills than their peers who do not participate. In fact, musicologist and cognitive scientist, E. Glenn Schellenberg, PhD, says organized music lessons increase a child’s IQ. He discovered that six-year-olds given a year of voice or piano lessons saw a significantly larger increase in IQ than a control group that waited a year for musical instruction. Overall, the study found that taking music lessons in childhood was a significant predictor of a higher IQ in young adulthood and a history of improved high school grades.
Children with special needs also benefit from music as it is multi-sensory, processed in both sides of the brain, and can be nonverbal, therefore, engaging children with special needs. For example, a simple app that allows a child to interact with a function and hear a sound triggers their kinesthetic system as they move their wrist and arm to strike the drum or, in this case, a button on the device’s touch screen.
The lives of children seem to shift once they become involved with an instrument. Many troubled teens have replaced violence, addiction, and depression with musical involvement. One conclusion is that extracurricular activities keep many people occupied; when music feels so good, there’s a reason: dopamine.
Here are some apps that will better integrate technology with music education in school systems, or simply get you to music stardom more quickly.
CoachGuitar (iPad/iPhone — free)
This app is great for complete beginners, like myself, when it comes to learning the basics of guitar. Coach Guitar uses a visual method of teaching so users can learn to play popular songs on their acoustic guitar without knowledge of either music theory or tablature. This app uses video, sound, and slow-motion features to walk anyone who has the rudiments of guitar technique through the riffs and runs of a range of popular songs, including four that come bundled with the free app.
Piano Dust Buster (iPad/iPhone — free)
Play chords, notes, and even entire songs and the app provides immediate feedback from your virtual trainer by tapping into your iPhone’s microphone. In Concert mode, players can compete against others; ’Battle of the Bands’ style. In Jukebox mode, play along classic pop tunes, like John Lennon’s Imagine and Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing. This app is perfect for the young adult just getting introduced to the piano.
Notes for Little Composers (iPad/iPhone — free)
Out of all the music education apps, this one is best for younger children or children with special needs. The app works by touching the screen and when a note appears (where you touched), the user taps on a note to hear the notes name. It’s simple and an ideal way for ‘little composers’ to learn. With an application like Notes for Little Composers, you can keep your excitement for music burning as you learn your music lessons in the most digestible manner.
The Orchestra (iPad — $13.99)
This sophisticated app is one for older children and adults. There’s nothing cutesy here, but a sophisticated interface which allows real-time selection of multiple video and audio tracks, along with an automatically synchronized score and dynamic graphical note-by-note visualisation of each piece as it is played. The result is an immersive environment for exploring musical compositions and every orchestral instruments. It’s visually stunning and well-worth the hefty price. No other app on the market even remotely compares to its caliber. If you’re serious about music education, invest in this app.
My First Orchestra App HD (iPad — $4.99)
This app is The Orchestra’s younger sibling. My First Orchestra is aimed towards the younger demographic and introduces an orchestra and its instruments in an informative and exploratory fashion. Naxos has long been known for providing great quality classical recordings at an affordable price and they’ve done well with this app. Every instrument has its own interface, with a young musician demonstrating a solo. Tormod, the cute little troll host, is friendly for the kids and sometimes he might even try the instruments himself! He’s only a beginner though (aww!). Tap any words or pictures and hear the text narrated and high quality extracts of music, animations and sound effects.
Hear It, Note It! — The Aural iQ Game (Universal — $1.99)
Music dictation is often neglected and no other app out there utilizes it as well as Hear It, Note It. Better for mid-level students with a decent knowledge of musical theory, this addictive music puzzle game covers 16th to whole notes (semiquavers to semibreves), dotted notes, rests and ties, compound time signatures, major, melodic and harmonic scales and modes. This app is best suited for the slightly experienced musician looking to sharpen their skills.
Improvox (iPhone — $3.99)
Of course, we cannot forget about the aspiring singer. Improvox, a vocal app is pretty cool and fairly easy to use. This app has real-time pitch correction and harmonization, not only allowing you to create lush sounds, but also teaches the user proper notes. You can add vibrant textures with effects like reverb, echo, and flanger. Let your creativity run wild.
Stimulating young minds to learn and think creatively is important to fostering an educated future. While apps run aplenty, implementing these new music technologies into our school systems will better integrate the ways in which young adults become innovative at a young age; it all starts with education. Strum away!
Originally published at www.rhubarbstudios.co on December 22, 2015.
