Helping Teachers Explain Brain Research
Inspired by a young teacher at a music educators conference, Anita commissioned a short film to be made to help music educators, parents and students understand the benefits of music education. The film includes interviews with a prominent neuroscientists, innovative music educators and students. The basis for the film is Anita’s research into the benefits of music education for academic performance, social skills and well-being, literacy and numeracy skills, improved life outcomes and brain and physical health in later life.Disseminating Research In An Approachable Way
In 2014 Anita worked with the creative team at TED Ed lesson worth sharing to create a short film titled “How playing an instrument benefits your brain”. This film bought together neuroscientific research into the benefits of music education on brain development in a way that allowed high school and college students to understand the changes that were happening in the brain every time they practised their instrument.“When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What’s going on? Anita Collins explains the fireworks that go off in musicians’ brains when they play, and examines some of the long-term positive effects of this mental workout. ”
— TED-Ed lesson worth sharing
