FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 03/16/2013
Contact: Chris Salter, 813-505-2995, Chris@MusicWizard.com
An amazing real life example how music, particularly piano, can grow the brains of even severely challenged special needs children.
This beautiful and moving story exemplifies the true potential of how playing piano can be a surprisingly effective (and now simple) therapy for all kinds of brain disorders and challenges. Newest brain research theories point to something called neuro—plasticity and even neuro-genesis, the amazing resilience, flexibility and even regenerative powers of the human brain.
Boulder CO –Recently more and more parents of special needs children have shared amazing and transformational stories of the role of music in healing and helping their children, with deep and surprisingly positive cognitive improvement across a wide range of faculties of the mind. This moving and inspiring video chronicle of Jed, a severely mentally challenged boy who, at age 7, could still not speak enough to even ask for a glass of water, is one that points to even more profound and dramatic possibilities in this exciting branch of brain/music research.
A few years ago, Jed’s mom, May, found a simple color coded music game called Piano Wizard Academy, that he not only could actually play, (he couldn’t even do a toddler level 4 piece puzzle at this point), but that allowed him with surprising alacrity to learn and play piano on an advanced level, (Bach, Beethoven, Mozart) and even read music. More astoundingly and to the point, he also was finally able to learn to speak and communicate fluently with his family and truly connect with the world around him, even go on to do other complex tasks like a 5000 piece Lego set, typing, simple math, and to even read and go to public school with other children for the first time. All things considered not remotely possible for Jed by doctors, educators and perhaps even his own family just a few short years ago.
“Our game has always been a sacred project for us, to bring music to the masses in an easy fun way that isn’t a just dead end, but one that leads people to true musicianship,” said Music Wizard founder Chris Salter. “But we never expected that it could have such a profound effect on the special needs population. “
“Looking back, it makes sense logically because of how deeply playing piano influences the brain, since it forces parallel processing by having to play rhythm, harmony and melody all at once, plus the hands having almost 50% of all nerve endings in the human body, and thus integrating both sides of the brain to a single task. Still, Jed’s story just astounded and inspired us even more. His blossoming has become a lighthouse for us in our small company, inspiring us to find even more ways to make our game and therefore music more accessible to those that need it. We hope his story also serves as a lighthouse of possibility to millions of other families struggling with the challenges of a wide range of special needs challenges such as ASD (autism spectrum disorder), ADHD, Downs syndrome, or even perhaps those families with aging seniors struggling to maintain or recover their faculties. Though not scientists, we feel we are at the beginning and forefront of dramatic new data and discoveries about how music can grow and develop the brain in astonishing new ways, with huge implications for children and education worldwide for possibly generations to come.” Salter added.
“Wow is Me TV”’s Adryenn Ashley interviewed Music Wizard founder Chris Salter here, with video excerpts of Jed’s astounding progress on the Piano Wizard Academy over the years, and his mom’s personal story of the amazing auxiliary results. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnSW3L_6V7k
A shorter video overview of Jed’s amazing progress on the piano and what it unleashed is here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp5H7Hd8IUo
More stories from other families and educators on the power of music on special needs children.
https://pianowizardacademy.com/testimonials/
Thank you!
Please share Piano Wizard with your friends and help spread the joy.