Floyd Fox

Hey Kidz,

Floyd here with some more cool info on why music classes are good for you. I don’t mean like Brussels sprouts are good for you. Brussels sprouts, yuck. Music, yay.

Taking music classes helps you do math. What does music have to do with math? I’m glad you asked. Music is full of math. Keeping time, reading all those funny little notes, paying attention to others to know when to breathe—that’s all math, guys. And if you are good in math, you will do great with our technology—the stuff we have now and the cool stuff that will be in our future. We might even be the ones inventing it because of our music classes.

If you are not so good at math, music can help you get good in math. How’s that for good news?

Music class helps us concentrate, which is a good thing to be able to do so we can learn to read. You know how your baby sister plays with one thing and gets up and goes after something else? She doesn’t know how to concentrate on one thing for long. When we make music we are concentrating and when we learn reading we already know how to concentrate.

One more thing, you know how bullies scare you? Music can help you can make friends with people who might be bullies because they are lonely. Music class helps us work together to make music and put on shows. It brings us together, we become friends and we can’t be mean to our friends.

That’s why I like being in the band. I have made some great friends. And I will probably be good in math and reading, too, because of it.

See you on the flip side,
Floyd

Hey Kidz,

Floyd here with a question. When did you start to hear music?

Would it surprise you to know that you started to hear music before you were born?

You heard your mother’s heart beating the rhythm. You heard her blood rush through her body like cymbals going sh-sh-sh. You heard your mother’s and father’s voices muffled like when you put your ears underwater in the bathtub. People talking speak in musical notes up and down the scales.

Would it surprise you to know that you heard music when you were a little tiny baby?

Your mother and father sang you lullabies. You heard the voices. You heard the television and the radio. You listened to music as you went for a ride in the car. The turn signals went click, click, click. Different engines were tuned up to different notes. Your mother sang with her favorite song on the radio.

Would it surprise you to know that you have been learning school subjects with music.

The ABC song is one, but you also learned days of the week, months of the year, and even arithmetic using music. As you get older you learn more and more using music.

Would it surprise you to know that music helps you think better?

Music trains your brain, it helps you tell how close or far away something is and it helps you study and take tests better. Music can make you feel calm or wake you up. It can make you want to get up and dance a dance or get you singing along with the song.

Did you know that music was such a part of your life? You did? You must have been listening to music. You are so smart.

See you on the flip side,

Floyd