As part of the " Agir pour l'Éducation " initiative launched by the Collège de France in association with the Fondation Vareille, this one-day event will provide a better understanding of how learning an instrument, from an early age, can be a formidable tool for student success. Does playing music improve children's cognitive abilities ? What links can be established between music and language, music and mathematics? How can we assess the impact of instrumental practice on children's development and skills ?
Professors Stanislas Dehaene and Emmanuel Bigand, researchers in cognitive psychology and neuroscience, have put together the program for this symposium. Internationally renowned researchers Nina Kraus, Assal Habibi and Robert Zatorre have accepted their invitation, and will present their most recent work on the subject in person.
France will be represented by the Un violon dans mon école experiment. This international violin-teaching scheme has been set up for 8 500 pupils aged 4 to 8, all of whom attend priority education schools. Research on the project will be presented by teams from laboratories at Sciences Po/CNRS, NeuroSpin and the Paris School of Economics.
This is a unique opportunity to take stock of a subject that is of major concern to the world of education !