A new survey shows that parents overwhelmingly value music education yet we were disappointed how few families incorporate music making...

In today’s competitive society, children need every advantage to help them be successful.  Developing learning skills at the earliest...

This aired on PBS NewsHour on February 24, 2012; it was produced by the Learning Matters group, specifically Cat McGrath and John Merrow. It looks at the Harmony Program out of CUNY in NYC, which provides after-school music education to under-privileged children. That program is modeled off El Sistema, a famed Venezuelan program of the same nature. The Harmony program consists of a 2 hour after school group class on their instrument every day, plus practice on nights and wee

As music opportunities in the schools systems dwindle, parents are taking matters into their own hands for their children’s music...

No one in Music Junction needs prodding to become songbirds but we’ll happily sing a little bit more in honor of Sing With Your Child...

There are many ways that music can aid in the development of our youngsters, and one of the major benefits is enhanced language skills,...

LINK: Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder with lyrics   Stevie Wonder has been performing wonderful holiday shows annually in Los Angeles for 18 years now to raise funds for the collection of toys for needy children in the Southland.  These holiday performances are a great musical event for families to attend, and always include special guest celebrities and well-known local talent to flesh out the fun program. For the 2013 show at the Nokia Center in LA, however, Stevie decided to do

Daria van den Bercken loves classical music and will do just about anything to make sure you like it too. She has played the music of George Frideric Handel in the air, hoisted 25 feet above fans in Brazil. She’s played in parks and banks in Amsterdam. She has even invited strangers into her apartment to listen to Handel in an intimate setting. Why? Well, Bercken is inspired by Handel’s music. During a TED Talks presentation the musician said she felt “pure, unprejudiced am

This is an amazing video featuring a virtual choir made of prerecorded homemade videos from 3,746 people in 73 countries of the same song.  It’s a 3,746-person choir in this 3rd installment by Eric Whitacre (the 4th video features over 8,000).  Composer Eric Whitacre’s idea for a Virtual Choir featuring voices from all over the world began when a fan recorded herself singing one of his songs and shared it on YouTube. “Eric was deeply moved by the spirit of her performance

Every year the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in West Hollywood presents over one hundred concerts featuring leading...

Artist Neil Harbisson was born completely color blind.  “To me, the sky is always gray, flowers are always gray, and television is still in black and white.”  But these days a device attached to his head turns color into audible frequencies.  Instead of seeing a world in grayscale, Harbisson can hear a symphony of color — and yes, even listen to faces and paintings.  Now even the way Neil dresses is affected by this device.  “Today I’m dressed in C major, so it’s quite a happ

If you’re lucky enough to get a ticket to a baseball game, you’ll likely participate in some treasured traditions such as eating hot...

Across religions and countries, chanting has often been used to create spiritual and meditative results for the listeners.  This is another way music has been utilized to create positive effects on our human emotions – in this case to calm the mind and encourage introspection. Catholic monks created the “ Gregorian” chant. “The Gregorian chant originated as a form of plainsong in the Roman Catholic church under the auspices of Pope Gregory the Great. Gregory is depicted in e

We know that live music is a great complement to music lessons but sometimes finding the right event can be challenging as not all events...

There may be a lot of unknowns in the world of science but one thing that is clear: playing music does wonders for your brain.   The...

Few pieces of Western music have been as beloved as much as Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which first premiered in 1824. Yet, 190 years later we still debate its meaning. It is Beethoven’s only vocal symphony and it is also his last.  It is big and loud and “wildly unstable.”  It projects a sense of calm then turns recklessly loud, and yet makes the audience feel triumphant at its closing. Some believe it was a political statement against European governments. Other

Want to evaluate children’s grammar skills? Start by examining their rhythm. A unique study by researchers from the Vanderbilt Kennedy...

It turns out that singing your favorite song and going to a concert may help you live a longer, healthier and happier life.   A research...

“ The Most Unwanted Song ” is a song created by artists Komar and Melamid and composer Dave Soldier in 1997. The song was designed to incorporate lyrical and musical elements that were annoying to most people. These elements included bagpipes, cowboy music, an opera singer rapping, and a children’s choir that urged listeners to go shopping at Wal-Mart. Komar & Melamid and David Soldier‘s list of undesirable elements included holiday music, bagpipes, pipe organ, a children’s c

Joey Alexander. This is a name you may want to remember in years to come. 12 year old Joey was featured as a jazz pianist on the 2016 Grammy Awards show. Indonesian born Joey had already performed in front of thousands worldwide, including presidents and dignitaries. He was even nominated for two Grammy awards that year. Joey began playing piano at six years old, his parents consider his abilities a “gift from God”. Here’s Joey playing at the 2016 Grammy Awards . Interested