Art School

02025-01-30 | Art, Creativity, Culture, History, Writing | 2 comments

I wonder whether politicians who think a liberal art education is a waste of time, or that art needn’t be taught in school ever thought of this… that sooooo many of the musicians they listen to went to art school. Here is a partial list of musicians that went to art school in England:

  1. Ray Davies
  2. Eric Clapton
  3. Ron Wood
  4. Keith Richards
  5. Jeff Beck
  6. John Lennon
  7. Farrokh Bulsara aka Freddie Mercury
  8. Christine McVie
  9. Ian Dury
  10. Pete Townshend
  11. Joe Strummer
  12. Cat Stevens
  13. Bryan Ferry
  14. Brian Eno
  15. David Bowie

Interesting to note that Bowie attended the Bromley Technical High School, where he studied art under the instruction of Owen Frampton, father of guitarist Peter Frampton.

2 Comments

  1. Steve

    I completely agree with you Ottmar. I also don’t understand the apparent deprecation of music as a topic of instruction for K-12. Consider the scientifically demonstrated benefits of playing a musical instrument to the brain:

    1. Structural Changes and Neuroplasticity

    Increased Gray Matter Volume: Studies using MRI scans show that musicians have increased gray matter volume in motor, auditory, and visuospatial regions of the brain (Gaser & Schlaug, 2003).

    Strengthened Corpus Callosum: Musicians often exhibit a larger and more robust corpus callosum, the bundle of nerves connecting the brain’s hemispheres, leading to better inter-hemispheric communication (Schlaug et al., 1995).

    Enhanced Synaptic Plasticity: Playing an instrument strengthens neural connections, improving learning capacity and adaptability (Wan & Schlaug, 2010).

    2. Cognitive Benefits

    Improved Working Memory & Executive Function: Musicians tend to perform better on memory-related tasks and show superior executive function skills like problem-solving and attention control (Bialystok & DePape, 2009).

    Delayed Cognitive Decline: Lifelong musical training is associated with reduced risk of dementia and slower cognitive decline in aging populations (Hanna-Pladdy & Mackay, 2011).

    3. Emotional and Psychological Benefits

    Increased Dopamine and Emotional Processing: Playing music activates reward pathways in the brain, increasing dopamine levels, which can improve mood and motivation (Salimpoor et al., 2011).

    Enhanced Emotional Regulation: Musicians show greater activation in areas related to emotion processing, such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, leading to better emotional control (Koelsch et al., 2005).

    4. Motor and Coordination Improvements

    Refined Motor Skills: Instrumental training enhances fine motor skills and coordination, as seen in studies of pianists and string players (Elbert et al., 1995).

    Strengthened Auditory-Motor Integration: Musicians develop stronger connections between auditory and motor cortices, leading to faster reaction times and improved movement control (Zatorre et al., 2007).

    5. Speech and Language Processing

    Better Phonological Processing: Musical training improves language processing, particularly in children, leading to stronger reading and speech comprehension skills (Patel, 2011).

    Enhanced Ability to Detect Speech in Noise: Musicians have superior auditory processing, making them better at understanding speech in noisy environments (Kraus & Chandrasekaran, 2010).

    6. Potential Medical Applications

    Music Therapy for Neurological Disorders: Playing an instrument or engaging in musical activities has been used in stroke rehabilitation, Parkinson’s disease management, and speech therapy for aphasia patients (Särkämö et al., 2008).

    Reduction in Stress and Anxiety: Playing music lowers cortisol levels, leading to decreased stress and anxiety (Thoma et al., 2013).

    But … of course, I am preaching to the choir here…

    Reply
  2. anne

    teaching art/music in school is important for young people,
    may be the only place they get exposure to the arts

    my daughter bought me a retro radio for Christmas – i listen too a classical music station
    ..very educational

    (ai can’t compete with the real thing)

    Reply

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