Danielle Crampsie, Author at Soundwave Jewellery

It's the first week of September which means back to school for our youth. The Royal Conservatory of Music has written this very informative article about the benefits of music education. The article is focused on children and their development, however as adults we can also benefit from taking music classes or being involved in a musical environment.

My favourite quote of the article is: "Music is inherently emotional, and musical memories are among the most visceral and vivid. Consequently, musicians must learn how to connect with people on an emotional level."

The article goes on to say that even jamming with friends can create an environment of sharing, co-operation and collaboration. As our adults life become more busy and stress over takes our thoughts we can become more focused on our own lives and issues and less able to commiserate and share in others lives. This create a very insular environment and can lead to a self-centred attitude towards life.

Part of the article focuses on the long term health benefits of music education. Music education can offer improved cognitive function, help in recovery of an illness and can even compensate for hearing loss in older adults. Seniors with music training are able to differentiate between sounds in a noisy environment allowing them to carry on a conversation even with their hearing loss.

So next time your with a group of friends pick up some spoons and belt out your favourite old time sing-a-long song!

Read the full article here: https://www.rcmusic.ca/sites/default/files/files/RCM_MusicEducationBenefits.pdf

If you'd like to take your music education to the next level here are some resources in Toronto you might want to look into:

http://learning.rcmusic.ca/royal-conservatory-school/adult-programs

http://enjoymusictoronto.com/lessons/

http://www.canadamusicacademy.ca/

http://www.long-mcquade.com/lessons/

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Yesterday I was working with gold and sapphires today I'm working with steel.

I studied to be a goldsmith which means you work with precious metals. Base metals, like steel where not taught. While each metal had its own qualities and working properties precious metals share similar techniques. Steel has its own unique properties and working techniques.

In 2011 when the price of gold (and silver) skyrocketed I stared introducing steel into my work to offer a more affordable option. I had to train myself and get to know the unique properties of the metal.

To this day I am still learning new things about this versatile metal.