1 . A recent research study suggests that learning music doesn’t make you smarter.

For a while, there was an idea found on the Internet and in various magazines that suggested that babies could become smarter if they listened to Mozart, or to other classical music. Inspired, some parents bought classical CDs for their babies in the hope that this would boost their intelligence. But this so-called “Mozart Effect” has been challenged repeatedly.

But is taking music lessons surely different from just listening to music? Wouldn’t taking music lessons make kids smarter? That’s exactly the question that many researchers over the years have tried to answer. Some of their studies concluded that it does, and some found that it doesn’t. For example, one study showed that music education did not improve reading skills, while another one found a small effect of music on young children’s ability to learn words.

The researchers of the new study, Giovanni Sala (Fujita Health University) and Fernand Gober (London School of Economics), looked at the data behind 54 carefully selected studies, and after carefully comparing the data from different papers, they concluded that children who took music lessons did not score higher on tests that measure their intelligence or academic ability than kids that didn’t learn music.

If music doesn’t make you smarter, how does that explain other research that shows that music lessons help students’ school performance? It seems like there is something about music lessons that makes students able to perform better in their other classes. That doesn’t have to be intelligence, and it’s likely not. Music lessons could have helped in different ways: They could have led to a change in homework habits, they could have increased confidence, or they could have improved social skills. And finally, they also mention that music education could still be beneficial to students’ performance in non-music subject if the music is combined with these classes. So feel free to keep making music, and keep encouraging children to learn music.

5 . While the arts can't stop the COVID-19 virus or the social unrest we see in the world today, they can give us insight into the choices we make when moving through crises and chaos. The arts invite everyone to think in new ways.

We often experience works of art as something that's pleasing to our senses without a full understanding of the creative effort. Great art often shows us contradictions and crises, and we can learn a great deal from their resolutions (解决). Through our understanding of art, we can gain a deeper understanding of how we might overcome our own challenges. In understanding extremes of contrast, we can see the beauty in art with themes that are not simply pleasing for their magnificent features or qualities.

Beethoven offers a wonderful example of moving artfully through crises and chaos. He composed his Symphony No.9 as his hearing loss became more and more pronounced. The opening of the symphony seems to come out of nowhere, from near silence in the opening to a full expression of what many consider to be the joy of freedom and universal brotherhood with Schiller’s Ode to joy (欢乐颂). Beethoven appears to have created a work of art that not only freed him from his personal struggles, but one that also speaks to the joy of living together in peace and harmony.

Have a dialogue between the two opposing parts and you will find that they always start out fighting each other until we come to an appreciation of difference — a oneness of the two opposing forces. The arts offer many lessons that can help us gain the knowledge we need to move more confidently in today's competitive and uncertain environment. An openness to arts-based solutions will give you more control over your future.

6 . I’m sure you know the song “Happy Birthday”. But do you know who wrote the song and for whom it was written?

The retired professor, Archibald A. Hill in Lucasville, USA could tell us the story. Ninety-seven years ago, two of Mr. Archibald Hill’s aunts, Miss Patty Hill and Miss Mildred Hill were asked to write some songs for a book called “Song Storied for the Sunday Morning”. Miss Patty Hill and Miss Mildred Hill were both kindergarten teachers then. They loved children very much and wrote many beautiful songs for the book. One of them was the famous “Good Morning to You.” The song said, “Good morning to you, good morning to you, dear children, good morning to all.” This song was very popular at that time among kindergarten children. But not many grown-ups knew it. A few years later little Archibald was born. As his aunt, Miss Patty Hill sang the song “Happy Birthday” to the melody of “Good Morning to you” to her little nephew. She sang the song like this: Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Archie! Happy birthday to you!

Miss Patty Hill and her sister had never expected that this song would become so popular, but it really did. People all over the world like the song because of its simplicity in tune and friendliness in words.

10 . Music is a language which speaks to everyone—from the day we are born we hear music of some kind of our lives. But there are as many different kinds of music as there are different languages, and it is impossible to describe them all. Here are just a few well-known types.

Classical music is serious Western European music from the Middle Ages to the present (1500 to today) and it is often written for a large orchestra, or for a small group of players. Many instruments can be used. A lot of classical music is also written to be sung as opera. Classical music is very popular and schools often teach this type of music.

Jazz developed in the Southern States of North America at the beginning of this century. The black people of these states, who were originally slaves from Africa, had their own rhythms. Jazz brought classical music and African rhythms together.

Blues was originally black country music from the Southern States at the beginning of this century. It is slow, usually sad music which is often sung by one person with a guitar.

Rhythm and Blues(R&B) developed from the Blues in America in the 1940s. It became faster and more complex and used more instruments, eg. Saxophone, guitar, piano, drums. The music was often about city life and white musicians started playing it as well.

Musicians developed Rock and Roll from Rhythm and Blues in the 1950s and it became popular with young people. It spread to Europe in the 1960s and is now known in most countries. A lot of pop music comes from Rock and Roll.

Pop music developed from Rock and Roll in America, Britain and Europe in the 1960s and is now in every country. The name is used for most commercial music, which we can buy on records and hear on “pop radio”. It is usually played by groups who often use electronic instruments and make videos to go with their records.