Customer Reviews

Keeping Mozart in Mind

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This was a surprisingly easy read. I have heard a lot in the news about the issue of music and children's learning, so I wanted to take a look at this book. With the CD-ROM that comes with the book, I was able to get a good grasp on this process and the extent of the relations between music and learning, and how it might affect my children.

It does get somewhat "text-bookie" at times, but I think that is helpful for those who want that more technical information.

Keeping Mozart in Mind is intellectually sophisticated, yet fun and interesting. I really enjoyed the way Shaw wove personal stories and anecdotes in with the science. It gave the book a novel-like flair, even though he was discussing some very improtant scientific and educational topics.

I am not a kid, but I love the STAR software that came with the book! I got hooked! If nothing else, you should try this program, it is amazing! I can see how those children improved their math scores so much; it is unlike any educational software I have ever seen.

I would reccommend this book and software to anyone.

Far from being the meandering report the Orange county reader called it, this book relates very carefully what has been going on in brain research for the last 20 years, plus it details what has been learned about the brain's own private language. Apparently, Mozart was intuitively expressing pure thought! (this is my conclusion). Shaw's research has demonstrated a clear and uncontradictable connection between music learning and math understanding. His approach, if implemented in schools, will change the way math is taught forever, and bring music back to the core curriculum where it belongs, as a rudimentary human language. Underprivileged kids who learn math and music together in a sequential curriculum experience an evening-out of the playing field which enables them to achieve as high scores on standardized tests as the rich white kids in wealthy districts! THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD! Hurray for Shaw. If this book is hard to read, keep trying and keep trying. Our kids' future may be at stake.

Other than the CD rom, I found nothing practical or inspiring in this book. There was no Mozart on the CD and the book showed me nothing practical for me or my children. Over priced. I have a master's degree in music and could not really see what the book was about, other than endless, meandering research. It had little to do with music or Mozart.