Music for the ages

Two talks about the impact of music take place tonight and tomorrow. From the Mid Texas Symphony's press release:
The power of music is unmistakable, especially in the lives of children. Exposure to music at an early age promotes self-discipline, confidence and abstract thinking. It's no wonder children who can read music or play an instrument also have a better understanding of math, science and language.
Born of this notion is the Community Music Academy's Lindenbaum Outreach program, which offers Suzuki strings classes and training choirs for the Seguin, Navarro and New Braunfels Independent School Districts.
Come witness the journey of these young musicians during The Power of Music Symposium's discussion of music in the lives of children on Wednesday, September 12 at 7 p.m. in Jackson Auditorium. Akiko Fujimoto of the San Antonio Symphony and UT Strings Project director Laurie Scott will talk about the impact of music on their childhood, followed by a short documentary about the Community Music Academy and a performance by the strings students. The evening will close with a panel discussion by educators and music professionals including Mid-Texas Symphony Music Director David Mairs, Mid-Texas Symphony Board members Marj Peters and Dr. Carl McCauley, and Windecker Chair and Mid-Texas Symphony violist Eliza Thomason.

The symposium continues on Thursday evening with a screening of Alive Inside, a film about the impact of music on the lives of the elderly and the power music has to awaken deeply locked memories. The film follows Dan Cohen, a social worker, who decides on a whim to bring iPods to a nursing home. To his and the staff's surprise many residents suffering from memory loss seem to "awaken" when they are able to listen to music from their past. Following the screening, a panel explores music and the elderly.
There is more here: http://www.tlu.edu/musicsymposium All symposium events are free and open to the public.