Author: Emma Ling Hwei Young

Check out this amazing drumming performance from our WAAMily students at the Education Through Music 2023 gala last week. Featuring over 80 students from partner schools all over NYC, it was an inspiring and crucial reminder about the critical importance of music education. WAAM is proud to support Education Through Music and the profound impact high quality music education can have both inside and outside the classroom. ...

WAAM is growing! We are seeking candidates to join the Board of Trustees and support our mission to improve lives and strengthen communities by leveraging the profound impact of music. We are interested in engaging with diverse individuals with skills spanning across a variety of areas, including:- Experts in Education- Mental and Behavioral Health Professionals- Legal or Governance Expertise- Donor Development and Relationship Management Visit this link to...

Did you know? Music can trigger strong memories from the past as well as prove strong emotion from those earlier experiences.  Music reduces the stress hormone cortisol and increases the secretion of oxytocin, thereby positively impacting  childbirth, as well as infant-parental bonding, trust and romantic attachment. Playing music or singing along impacts procedural memory, which is the unconscious ability to remember a behavior without explicitly thinking about it.   Find more...

ABSTRACT: This article from the Washington Post examines the link between music and memory retrieval. The article specifically focuses on how people suffering from forms of dementia like Alzheimer's can often recall lyrics to songs from their earlier days, even while struggling to retain short-term memories. The link between music and memory is compared to the way memories also link to olfaction. REVIEWER: Peter...

WAAM is proud to fund and support music programs making a tangible difference in children’s lives. Here are a few of the notable achievements from our grantees! - 85% of students report enhanced self-confidence, teamwork, creativity, and leadership skills (Jazz House Kids)- 70% improvement in self-expression (Music Will)- 76% of students report improvement in key areas of Social Emotional Learning (Rock to the Future) ...

Did you know that, according to a Johns Hopkins University study, learning to play guitar has been clinically proven to lessen motor symptoms in Parkinson’s patients, improving their cognitive ability and emotional well-being? Learn more by checking out the MIRC! ...

ABSTRACT: In a fascinating example that shows just how potent playing a musical instrument - in this case guitar - can be for combatting progressive neurological diseases such as Parkinson's, which effects more than 10 million people worldwide, a study done by the Parkinson's Disease Journal showed how even beginners can experience "improvement in mood and overall quality of life, and, for some, motor functions, including...

WAAM recently partnered with Bryan Kohl at MindWise Innovations to better understand how music interacts with depression and can be used in suicide prevention. “From dopamine responses, to addressing depressive states, to being a vehicle for messages of hope and resilience, it’s clear music plays a role.” You can read the complete abstract on our MIRC (Music Impact Research Center). Make sure to tune into our live Power of...