Students steal the show: Grade 8s show off their musical skills on steel pan drums.

Orientation to the profession | Learning outcome #1 | Actively engage in the work of the school and classroom to understand the role of all stakeholders in creating and sustaining an engaging, inclusive, safe and equitable learning environment.

The intermediate students at Holy Spirit will show off their musical skills at Artscape: A concert displaying music & art from our school community in the first week of May. It is a community event and concert where parents, guardians, extended family members, and friends will have an opportunity to attend a visual art exhibition and watch the students in action as they play music by classical artists of Bach and Mozart, and African artist Van McCory . The music education program was developed and taught by musician André Rouse. He is the creative director of Souls of Steel, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to the instruction and performance of the steel pan.

As I observed the students at practice, I couldn't help but be in awe of their skill, focus, and enthusiasm. I could see the cogs turn in their heads as they move their arms to strike the different notes on their pan steel drum.

Unlike other subjects in the curriculum, learning music tends to affect the brain differently. According to Dr. Eric Rasmussen, chair of the Early Childhood Music Department at the Peabody Preparatory of The Johns Hopkins University, “There’s some good neuroscience research that children involved in music have larger growth of neural activity than people not in music training. When you’re a musician and you’re playing an instrument, you have to be using more of your brain (PBS Kids, 2023)." Playing music is like a physical workout for your brain, as it engages every part of the central nervous system. Playing music uses the peripheral nervous system, which controls one's gross and fine motor skills. Striking the steel pan drum can be a physical activity. Students are standing, dancing to the tunes, following the tempo by tapping their feet, while using their fine motor skills striking the steel pan or xylophone (Sapega, 2017).

Their planning skills and the anticipation of what comes next directed by the conductor exercises the executive function of the brain. Playing an instrument can also improve focus, memory and cognitive function, verbal fluency (if words are used in music), and the speed at which they process information (Sapega, 2017). Music is also mathematical. Musicians count number of beats, tempo, timing, and fractions.

Beyond the functionality of the brain, playing music within an orchestra or band enhances team building and cooperative skills, and verbal communication. The students who chatter the most in class were focussed, on task and ready to play under the instruction of Rouse. Playing music also builds confidence. Performing in front of an audience can be anxiety inducing, but doing it over and over again reduces stage fright.

Overall, the music program benefits many stakeholders: the student; the teacher, Rouse; fellow teachers who participated in this even; and those who will watch them play at Artscape this coming May.

The grade 8s performance was impressive, and I look forward to seeing them play in front of a live audience. To learn more about Rouse's organization, Souls of Steel, click at http://www.sosotoronto.com/.

References:

Brown, L. (2023). The Benefits of Music Education. https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/the-benefits-of-music-education

Sapega, S. (2017, January 30). Playing and Instrument: Better for Your Brain than just Listening. https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-blog/2017/january/playing-an-instrument-better-for-your-brain-than-just-listening