Classical music stimulates young minds

By Pablo Tariman
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 07:53:00 11/10/2008

Music teachers in the cities of Oroquieta and Ozamiz City have urged the return of
music lessons in the curriculum of public schools to help stimulate young minds.

The teachers issued the call after learning from Professor Reynaldo Reyes that
listening to classical music produces more brain cells and makes young minds more
active and intelligent.

Reyes, a full-time professor at the Towson University in Baltimore, said he was

saddened that music was no longer part of the public school curriculum. He said
scientific studies showed that making or listening to classical music developed
more neurons.

Education Undersecretary Fe Hidalgo said music was scrapped from the curriculum to
give learners more time to acquire functional literacy, numeracy, orderly thinking
and questioning.

The Batangas-born Reyes, who graduated with top honors from the Paris
Conservatory, noted that Korea, Japan and Singapore used classical music to
produce better citizens and promote their countries.

Pianists Reyes and Ingrid Sala Santamaria were in the two Mindanao cities recently
to perform.

Teacher Elizabeth Iyog said the dropping of music from the curriculum resulted in
young musical talents not getting the basic training and doing more pop music than
classical.

Dipolog’s prodigy

During Reyes’ visit, concert lovers were treated to an impromptu performance by

Mishael Romano, an 8-year-old piano prodigy from Dipolog.

Reyes stressed the enduring appeal of classical music. He pointed out that despite
all kinds of economic and social upheavals over the years, classical music still
managed to keep its universal following.

Santamaria said classical music did not require fuel for people to enjoy. People
could listen to it at home or go to free concerts like the ones she had been
giving in the last seven years.

“Classical music is something that will be with us because music makes a Filipino
a total person in mind, heart and soul,” she said.

Reyes and Santamaria have logged a total of 333 concerts from Aparri to Davao,
playing an average of two to six concertos per performance.

The only places the pianists have not yet visited are Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and
Batanes.