[1] Music education, brain research & advocacy - with Dr Anita Collins

In this episode, I talk to Dr Anita Collins, an educator, researcher and writer in the field of brain development and music learning, based in Australia.You may know Anita from her TED Ed lesson, How playing an instrument benefits your brain, and her TEDx talk, What if every child had access to music education from birth? And more recently, she’s starred in the Australian version of a British TV show, ‘Don’t Stop the Music’.We talk about: • why Anita is so passionate about this area of work and her early childhood struggles with reading. • the three main areas where music can have an impact on brain development in children • how music can help young people in challenging circumstances • how we can use neurological research to advocate for music in education • what are the ingredients for music programmes that create cognitive change • and we finish with three pieces of practical advice for people advocating for music education