I honestly don't know if this answers the question - but according to neuro psychologists using fMRI and other imaging technology, music triggers responses in nearly every section of the brain from the primitive brain in the cerebellum to both sides of the frontal lobe. Music also seems to encode information using every form of memory and will help people retain the memories attached to the music even when large portions of the "memory centers" of the brain are destroyed (see the Clive Wearing case). Music helps students remember words, learn language syntax, learn how to discern"abstract reasoning' patterns, and learn mathematical progressions. Additionally, one thing I have noticed with current education is the lack of emphasis on students fully encoding the information into memory.

What if, as part of the early years of education music (listening to songs that talk about the subject matter or singing songs that help them remember necessary information) was regularly incorporated into the learning process for acquiring the ability to communicate easier and retain the knowledge they need to excel in the upper elementary and secondary grades?

A study in turkey with math students in 2009 did just that for older children and saw better critical thinking skills and also better attitudes toward math in a traditional cultural setting.

Here are some of my citations:

The one by Kocabas was he one done in Turkey. I just wrote my last KAM, KAM V on this and am also writing KAM VI while working on my proposal. However, if I have not got it accepted soon, I will be getting an EdS instead due to lack of funds.

thanks for your answer, and my research backs up your claims:

Harris, M. (2008). The effects of music instruction on learning in the Montessori

classroom. Montessori Life, 3, 24-31.

Heinberg, R. (March-May, 2005). Creativity begins in the womb. Shift: At the Frontiers

of Consciousness, 16. Petaluma, CA: Institute of Noetic Sciences.

Hodges, D. A. (2000). Implications of the music and brain research. Music Educator’s

Journal. 87(2), 17-22.

Hudspeth, A. J. (1997). How hearing happens. Neuron, 19, 947-50.

Hui, K. (2006). Mozart effect in preschool children? Early Childhood Development and

Care,176(3–4), 411–419.

Huss, M., Verney, J. P., Fosker, T., Mead, N., & Goswami, U. (June 2011). Music,

rhythm, rise time perception and developmental dyslexia: Perception of musical meter predicts reading and phonology Cortex, 47(6), 674-689.

Jeong, S., & Kim, M. T. (2007). Effects of a theory-driven music and movement program

for stroke survivors in a community setting. Applied N ursing R esearch, 20(3), 125-31.

Jones, W. P. (Summer, 2005). Music, the brain, and education. Montessori Life, 40-45.

Karageorghis, C. I., Jones, L., & Low, D. (2006). Relationship between exercise heart

rate and music tempo preference. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 77(2), 240–250.

Karageorghis, C. I., Priest, D.-L., Terry, P. C., Chatzisarantis, N. L. D., & Lane, A. M.

(2006). Redesign and initial validation of an instrument to assess the motivational qualities of music in exercise: The Brunel Music Rating Inventory-2. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24(8), 899–909.

Kinchin, I. M., Cabot, L. B. & Hay, D. B. (2008). Visualising expertise: Towards an

authentic pedagogy for higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 13, 315–326.

Kocabaş, A. (2009). Using songs in mathematics instruction: Results from pilot

application. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1(1), 538-543

Kosfield, M., Heinrichs, M., Zak, P., Fischbacher, U., & Fehr, E. (2005). Oxytocin

increases trust in humans. Nature, 435: 673-676.

Kumar, A. M., Tinas, F., Cruess, D. G., Mintzer, M. J., Ironson, G., Lowerstein, D. et al.

(1999). Music therapy increases serum melatonin levels in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. Alternative Therapies in Health Medicine, 5(6), 49-57.

Lillard, A, S., & Else‐Quest, N. (2006). The early years: Evaluating Montessori

education. Science, 313, 1893‐1894.

Lutz, A., Slagter, H., Rawlings, N., Francis, A., Greischar, L., & Davidson, R. (2009).

Mental training enhances attentional stability: Neural and behavioral evidence. Journal of Neuroscience, 29(42), 13418-­‐13427.

Mendelson, T., Greenberg, M., Dariotis, J., Gould, L., Rhoades, B., & Leaf, P. (2010).

Feasibility and preliminary outcomes of school-based mindfulness intervention for urban youth. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 1‐10.

Lim, S., & Reeves, B. (2009). Being in the game: Effects of avatar choice and point of

view on psychophysiological responses during play. Media Psychology, 12(4),

348-370.

Lombard, M.A. (2009). A clear voice for Montessori: Elisabeth Caspari. Montessori Life,

1, 18-23.

Macone, D., Baldari, C., Zelli, A., & Guidetti, L. (2006). Music and physical activity in

psychological well-being. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 103, 285–295.

If you want to do some more reading about the role of music and the brain, read almost anything by Dr Daniel Levitin. He has at least 2 books "this is Your Brain on Music" and "The World in Six Songs" and numerous articles about how music affects the brain with children and adults with disabilities. He is also VERY generous with his writings - if you go to http://daniellevitin.com/publicpage/ you can access most of his articles for free. He's also done a couple of PBS programs about music and the brain - is a professional musician, - music arranger, has been a music mixer for the industry - - - -

Oh and the books are not only informative but also very easy reads!

I am already citing him as well, although we disagree on some basic tenets.

Upon which specific tenets do you disagree? The answer to this might apply to my own research (states of consciousness).