MUSEWIRE – Music News / On Tuesday, June 11, USC (University of Southern California) will host the first Music, Health, and Policy Conference, as part of Los Angeles County Arts and Health Week, at Cammilleri Hall on the University Park Campus. Research has shown music’s centrality to childhood development and addressing elderly cognitive decline.

Music education has been shown to boost cognitive development and emotional well-being among K-12 students. Among older people, the use of music to help patients suffering from dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease recall memories.

The conference will focus on these two research areas. Experts from USC, other universities and community organizations will discuss the latest reseach on music education and its effect on childhood development, and music and aging.

The importance of this research is reinforced by California Prop 28, passed in 2022 to allocate additional funding for arts and music education in all California K-12 public schools.

AT THE EVENT:

• Assal Habibi, Director of the Center for Music, Brain and Society
• Renee Fleming, LA Opera’s Advisor for Special Projects
• Jason King, Dean of USC Thorton School of Music
• Shri Narayanan, USC VP for Presidential Initiatives

The event will take place Tuesday, June 11, 2024 – 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the USC Brain and Creativity Institute, Cammilleri Hall, 3620 McClintock Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90089.

About USC Center for Music, Brain, and Society (USC CMBS)
Established in 2023, the USC Center for Music, Brain and Society draws together a diverse group of experts from various departments, including the College itself, the Keck School of Medicine, the Thornton School of Music, and the Viterbi School of Engineering. The Center’s aim is to apply the insights gained from its research endeavors to enhance human well-being and contribute to societal progress. 

Learn more: https://dornsife.usc.edu/cmbs/

About California Prop 28 (2002):
Provides Additional Funding for Arts and Music Education in Public Schools. Initiative Statute. Provides additional funding for arts and music education in all K-12 public schools (including charter schools) by annually allocating from state General Fund an amount equaling 1% of required state and local funding for public schools. Allocates greater proportion of the funds to schools serving more economically disadvantaged students. Schools with 500 or more students must spend at least 80% of funding to employ teachers and remainder on training, supplies, and education partnerships. Requires audits and limits administrative costs to 1% of funding.

RELATED LINKS:
Does music unlock memory? By Paul McQuiston

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Photo credit: iStock – provided by USC. Mirror collage version created by Christopher Simmons.

This version of news first appeared on MuseWire.com and is Copr © Christopher Laird Simmons.