Q. My eight-year-old son wants to play the trumpet. Do you recommend lessons?

A. I suggest that all individuals (any age) take some type of music lessons whether or not they plan to perform. The study of music is one way to begin building competencies (skills honed through practice) throughout the brain.

PET Scan studies suggest that while innate musical ability resides in the right posterior lobes of the cerebrum, all four modes are stimulated through music lessons and practice. Studies by the Albuquerque School District showed a positive correlation between student participation in school instrumental programs and increased mental ability.