Learning … the Beat Goes on

W ho can imagine a world without music? Music pervades our lives-in movies, on the radio, at church services and social gatherings. It touches and enriches each one of us. Yet the power of music to enhance learning is often underutilized. Using music as a tool for learning is nothing new. Since the beginning of time, music has helped people remember stories. Early man sat around campfires sharing tales of great battles while accompanied by drumbeats. During the Middle Ages, bards who sang about national heroes were a primary source of news as they roamed the countryside. Today, music still facilitates our search for gaining knowledge of ourselves and the world around us.