Music and the Brain is a neuroscience-based program of non-profit Building for the Arts that brings music literacy curriculum and weekly, whole-class keyboard instruction to schools with underserved students, helping them build cognitive and fine motor skills to succeed both academically and in life.
When schools across the country shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, music teachers who make up the nationwide Music and the Brain community reached out for help. Within mere days, Music and the Brain, under the leadership of its Director, Lisala Beatty, launched Music and the Brain @Home, a brand-new online learning platform that allows teachers to extend the proven in-school program to at-home learning.
Beatty commented, "The @Home program not only supports academic growth, critical thinking, enhanced creativity and social-emotional learning at a time when kids need it most, but it also provides a dynamic solution for students, teachers and parents handling the stresses of remote learning."
"In just a month, engagement from students has been so high, and the response so positive," Beatty added, "that the whole MATB team is now working to build and add to the online platform, using the invaluable feedback we've received from students, educators and parents."
Per an ongoing study with Columbia University's Center for Arts Education Research, the in-school Music and the Brain program increases students' development in five key areas: academic skills, musical skills, cognitive skills, fine motor skills, and social-emotional learning. Through teaching students to read, play, and analyze the language of music via a diverse repertoire, the program delivers academic rigor and fun through artistic exploration while imparting a commitment to practice and the rewards of perseverance.
Since launching in March, the Music and the Brain @Home platform has had more than 68,000 site visits. In addition to serving existing Music and the Brain students, the @Home program is now able to reach an even wider audience of kids, teachers, and parents, beyond Music and the Brain's 300+ partner schools - all completely free of charge.
The @Home program mirrors the in-school curriculum of Music and the Brain. Since 1997, Music and the Brain has provided a flexible framework for teaching music literacy, rhythmic training, and piano instruction. This highly scalable in-school program provides each teacher with a one-of-a-kind, multi-year music literacy curriculum, teaching materials, and a full keyboard lab. @Home provides comprehensive music lessons, including rhythm exercises, instructional audio and video recordings, and an on-screen virtual keyboard, eliminating the need for a traditional piano or keyboard.
In-person training workshops provided by Music and the Brain for teachers in partner school districts have been converted to webinars, allowing teachers from across the country to join and implement the @Home program for their own students via online learning. These webinars empower teachers through small-group, intensive trainings, digital resources, and ongoing support.
A 5th grader from Queens gave Music and the Brain @Home a five-star review and commented on the "Ode to Joy" lesson: "The melody sounds sooo unique!...[W]hen you have something negative in your life like the Coronavirus, this song will make you find your heart in peace - and it will definitely stay there."
For more information, or to get involved, visit
musicandthebrain.org and matb-at-home.org.
