Why it's important to get your daily dose of music by Megan Cochrane, Ian Wendrow, Hunter Callender and Sumaira Hai

Most people do not think of music as anything more than a filler for those quiet moments; something to listen to on the walk to class or at leisure while they get ready for an event. 

Jenna Pall, a Theatre and Psychology junior, listens to music while she does her homework.

However, what most people do not know is that music has many benefits that can affect one’s physical health and childhood development.

From the time an individual is an infant up until the age of three, their brain is only a quarter of the size of an adult brain but it grows synapses, or important pathways and connections between cells, much more rapidly. 

According to Dr. Diane Bales, Ph.D., author of “Building Baby’s Brain: The Role of Music,” simply listening to music can activate those synapses which are necessary for skills like spatial and temporal reasoning and math. 

According to Bales, listening to music is especially crucial at the age of two or three because learning to keep a steady beat has been linked to linguistic development. Adults who were not exposed to music as children and have issues keeping a steady beat had more issues with the Vestibular system, the system responsible for balance and movement, and their vocabularies were absent of syncopated rhythms. Unfortunately by then these deficiencies are nearly impossible to overcome because adults are already fully developed. 

The chart below portrays the data of a study done by Phyllis S. Weikert which attempted to prove that the decline in music education as toddlers led to an inability in keeping a steady beat as high school students.

In 1981, 80 percent of female high school students and 60 percent of male students were able to keep a beat, however in 1991 the percentages dramatically dropped and only 48 percent of female high school students and 30 percent of male students were able to keep a steady beat. 

Weikert noticed that children who did not listen to music or receive music education when they were young were not sounding out all the syllables of words and lacked syncopated rhythms. For example, Winnie the Pooh became WinPoo. 

Being able to keep a steady beat helps an individual feel the rhythm of language and therefore speak and read smoothly as well as enhance one's communication skills. Learning to keep a beat while clapping or swaying their arms as children also helps children learn how to use tools and can develop their lower body competency helping them play sports and dance in the future.

In the video below, Robyn Mallari, a first grade teacher at Keystone Academy explains how she uses music in her classroom to help develop basic learning skills for her students. She also uses music to help her students learn topics like science, math, reading at a faster pace, and even to relieve stress. 

The benefits of music are not just limited to just children, however. In the following video, Adreena Nersesian, a music therapist at the Michigan State University Community Music school, discusses how she uses music therapy to help a spectrum of people from autistic kids to children with learning disabilities to disabled adult and  people with traumatic brain injuries. 

Aside from mental health, music can also benefit various parts of the body including, but not limited to, the brain, the heart, the immune system, the stomach and one’s physical endurance. 

Suraj Mahadeva, a Biochemistry sophomore, listens to music while he works out because it makes the task go by much faster.

Scroll over the picture below and click on one of the circular tags to see how music specifically affects that part of the body.

As Plato once said, “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” Music is the universal language of mankind. When the everyday stresses become overwhelming music acts as an outlet for one to connect with themselves and learn more about the world around them in a rhythmic fashion. It does more than just life one’s spirit, it can lift your physical well-being as well. 

Marley Boone, a Theatre senior, listens to music to clear her mind.

So whether or not you listen to music through an mp3 player, through a record player or by making it yourself, along with eating your vegetables, we ask that you listen to music everyday as well because listening to music everyday can also keep the doctor away. 

Joel DeJong, a Film sophomore, enjoys listening to music through his record player. 

JRN 203 Charts Project

According to the American Horse Council's study of the National Economic Impact of the U.S. Horse Industry, the United States has the largest horse population over all other countries in the world at over 9.2 million horses. China and Mongolia have fairly large horse populations as well. The United Kingdom, Australia, France and New Zealand have very low populations compared to many other countries. There were two countries reported as having a horse population of zero. According to this study, those horses in the U.S. are used in many capacities.

The uses or activities that the U.S. horse population is used for is shown in percentages in the pie chart below. Recreation is the way most horses in the U.S. are used, with showing taking the next largest percentage. The other activities include farm and ranch work, rodeo, carriage horses, polo, police work, informal competitions, and other non-specified activities. Horse racing holds the lowest percentage for horse usage in the United States.

The cost of caring for these horses can be very expensive, especially if hay rates are high. In 2014, the peak for hay cost was in May at $225 per ton of Alfalfa hay. This is typically due to high demand around that time. 

Study Abroad Funding Recap

Thanks to a new kind of fundraising, crowd-funding, the number of students taking advantage of study abroad opportunities may increase.

This increase may be due, in part, to the fact that crowd-funding uses social media as a catalyst for raising money, and college students are typically social media savvy.

While there are typical financing routes, like scholarships, family contributions, financial aid, and working to save enough money, sometimes students need an even more powerful tool in order to be successful.

"Social media is... one of the biggest catalysts for why this type of funding exists," said Thomas Coke, an expert on the topic of crowd-funding and former crowd-funding securities regulator for the state of Michigan.

Thoughts on this type of fundraising were varied, with one student supporting its potential as a supplement to competitive scholarships, another detesting how it seems like begging for money, and yet another currently running a crowd-funding campaign.

Study Abroad Funding Preview

A new type of fundraising, crowd-funding, offers students another way to finance their study abroad experiences, potentially increasing the percentage of American students that study abroad.

Although the number of students studying abroad has hit a record high, the Institute of International Education's Open Doors press release said less than 10 percent of all American undergraduates will study abroad by the time they graduate.

Thus, the issue stands of encouraging the other 90 percent of students to take advantage of study abroad opportunities that have serious benefits for employment and educational opportunities.

"Study abroad is a journey of self discovery and exploration of another culture and way of life, all in the academic setting. It deepens and broadens the entire educational experience," said Dr. Jane Blyth, Director of Study Abroad and Global Program Development at Western Michigan University, of the benefits of studying abroad.

Economic factors were among the many cases for limited American student participation, according to the press release. 

However, crowd-funding opens new doors to students looking to finance an educational experience using social media as a catalyst for their cause.

Crowd-funding is a topic with many points of view, as expressed by several students that were interviewed. 

Kalamazoo Theatre Recap

The recession of 2009 hit Kalamazoo hard; but, thanks to great programs, generous community members, and one organization, Kalamazoo's theatre culture has regained its footing and is stronger than ever.

The city of Kalamazoo houses 11 successful theatre venues, according to Theatre Kalamazoo's Website.

Joan Herrington, Chair of Western Michigan University's Department of Theatre and member of the Theatre Kalamazoo organization, said much of the rebound rate was due to the organization, one that promotes the diversity and richness of the area's theatre and makes it more accessible to the public through collective advertising and balanced seasons.

Nicki Poer, Director of Education and Outreach at The Civic, shared documents that said The Civic continued to increase revenue by 9.034 percent between 2010-2013, demonstrating the theatre's continued recovery.

Some people, like Mattawan High School Director Lou Price, disagree, however, with the notion of recovery and said his numbers of attendance and funding were down by over half, most likely due to poor community support.

Herrington said she hopes that Kalamazoo theatres remain strong and that the community continues to invest in and cultivate the next generation of theatre artists.

Kalamazoo Theatre Preview

Tucked away in Southwest Michigan, not far from the coast of Lake Michigan, is the city of Kalamazoo. Tasty restaurants, fun bars, and beautiful business buildings line the streets. However, it is a specific form of entertainment that makes Kalamazoo such a unique place to live - live theatre.

Despite Kalamazoo's meager size, when compared to cities like New York City and Los Angeles, it offers many opportunities to theatergoers and enthusiasts. In fact, Kalamazoo boasts 11 successful theatre venues, according to the Theatre Kalamazoo Website.

Joan Herrington, Chair of Western Michigan University's Department of Theatre and member of the Theatre Kalamazoo organization, said, "The fact that we can all produce and that we can all survive despite the number of us is really amazing."

Herrington said Theatre Kalamazoo aims to promote diversity and richness among the area's theatres while making it more accessible to the community.

The organization must be doing something right, for Kalamazoo Theatres have come back in full force from the economic recession of 2009.

Record Hunting Recap

Satellite Records, located at 808 South Westnedge Ave., underwent rebranding and hosted a grand opening party at their new Vine Neighborhood location Saturday.

Keith Lussier, a Western Michigan University senior and frequent customer of the Kalamazoo record store, visited on Sunday in search of new records to add to his collection.

Lussier said his mission on this trip was to purchase records by female artists, since his collection is made up of mostly males.

Lussier began his hunt for records by combing through the bins of new arrivals near the front door.

After searching through the new arrivals, Lussier browsed piles of Hip Hop and Soul records before moving on to his favorite bins.

Lussier's favorite bins of records are the bargain bins where he searches for great music at a great price.

After an hour of digging through records of all genres, Lussier headed to the checkout.

While Lussier did not leave with any albums recorded by women, he did purchase four new albums to add to his growing collection. His purchases included a record by Stevie Wonder, Tarkus, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and an independent Hip Hop album titled Rooftop.