While working on business concerns, I have the CMA’s on in the background.  I love hearing music! Any kind of music – rock, pop, hip-hop, country, classical, Christian, jazz, alternative, and even, in my past, heavy metal.  Music can mimic an emotion and sometimes helps get beyond a difficult period, celebrate a happy time, uplift a depressed spirit, or calm jittered nerves.  I remember when pregnant with each of my sons, I would lay in the middle of the living room floor, put music on, and either sing or hum for a long time.  It was my way of taking in the moment and thinking about the wonderful experiences yet to come.  I know my sons benefited from these early music-listening sessions. They loved making music – and I knew that from an early age, their involvement in music would have a positive effect on their growing brains.  It is unfortunate that many, many children do not have the ability to experience music during their young lives while their brains are developing.  What a tragedy!  How simple to start with even a nursery song and clapping.  In a recent article I read, Ani Patel, as associate professor at Tufts University, discussed the important implications about the role of music in children’s lives.   “Cognitive abilities are affected by changes in the brain when music is played and this can have an impact on emotional development, emotional maturity, social skills, and stick-to-itiveness…all of which are hugely important in a child’s ultimate success.” (“Unpacking the science: How playing music changes the learning brain”; Mindshift; 2014/07).  This is one of the main reasons BCI focuses on providing musical instruments and accessories to elementary schools.  We are trying to make a difference….one school and one child at a time.