Port Colborne Creative Arts Atelier

Starting to look at taking a few students after March break. If interested, send me a message. Thanks!

If you do not get the joke, you need theory lessons. Hit me up! :)

New year, new me.

Music training doesn’t just shape the musicians in our classrooms, it shapes the adults they’ll become.

From stronger cognitive skills to long-lasting brain benefits, the impact of music learning goes far beyond the lesson itself. 🎶🧠

If you ever needed a reminder that what you do matters, here it is.

✨ Discover more music learning insights through a BBB+ Free Membership: https://ow.ly/YMGM50XtS2K

“In music education, it is easy to assume the most significant innovation and leadership emerge from large and well-resourced programs. Yet, across the country, small school music programs are proving size does not define impact,” writes Richard Tengowski, introducing this interview with fellow NAfME Small Schools Initiative Task Force members Lance Jones and Melissa Jmaeff. “Small school music programs often operate with limited resources, yet their influence within the profession extends far beyond the size of their classrooms, ensembles, or communities.” Read “The Power of Small School Music Programs” in the December 2025 issue of SBO+ Magazine (available complimentarily to NAfME members): https://artistpro.mydigitalpublication.com/december-2025/page-28

Consistency shows. Skip a day and you feel it — skip more and the whole world does. Keep practicing. 🎹🔥

Treat them like a poet and they'll poet.

Trust me, when you’re 70-80 years old, you’re going to either regret that you didn’t or be grateful that you did do everything in your power to nourish your brain when you were in your younger years of life. Studies have revealed that playing a musical instrument (learning and practicing) builds more new neural connections (neuroplasticity) in the brain than almost any other activity on the planet.

Playing an instrument engages nearly every part of the brain at once, including auditory (sound), motor (movement), and visual (reading music) areas. This simultaneous activation strengthens neural pathways and the connections between them.

The process of translating written music (visual) into precise finger movements (motor) and hearing the correct sound (auditory) forces the brain to integrate information from different sense. This improves cognitive flexibility and the ability to multitask.

Unlike skills that are learned and then automated (like tying your shoelaces), playing music involves a continuous process of learning new techniques, memorizing passages and improvising. This constant challenge of mastering new skills maintains and strengthens neuroplasticity throughout life.

Additionally, long-term musical training can lead to both structural and functional changes in the brain. For example, studies show musicians often have larger gray matter volumes in areas related to motor, auditory, and visuospatial processing, as well as a larger corpus callosum.

Also, the act of learning new music helps create new synapses (connections between neurons), while repetitive practice strengthens existing ones. This is a key mechanism of neuroplasticity that allows information to be processed more efficiently.

Playing also requires complex cognitive control, including planning, attention and working memory. The brain strengthens the neural networks associated with these functions, which can lead to better focus and organization in other areas of life.

PMID: 29213699, 38178844, 20889966, 33776638, 25725909, 24672420