How Music Matters: The Impact of Music Participation on Youth Development February 7, 2011

Tufts Associate Professor of Child Development Kathleen A. Camara presents our first colloquium of the semester. Dr. Camara will review selected findings from YouthBEAT Research and Evaluation Project, which she directs. The project, developed in collaboration with Berklee College of Music and the Berklee City Music Program, examines the role of music in the lives of youths, how sustained participation in the music program is related to positive youth development, as well as musical and academic achievement. Berklee City Music Program students receive private lessons, classes in theory and musicianship and participate in weekly year-long ensembles based on contemporary music. Students ages 9-18 from underserved communities in the Boston area and in thirty national network sites are participating in the study. The Tufts research team has gathered data from 130 youths, their teachers, and program administrators. In addition, the YouthBEAT project is studying effective teaching strategies among artist-teachers and analyzing the development of 33 youth music ensembles. Lunch to be served after the lecture.

Official Website: http://as.tufts.edu/music/musiccenter