Music has a powerful effect on people. So argues Andew Pudewa, from the Institute for Excellence in Writing. Andrew provides a creative writing program for students. It’s one of the best around.

But Andrew also plays violin and has a background in music education. A few years ago he put together a 2-CD lecture series entitled The Profound Effects of Music on Life.

In this series, Andrew illustrates how music affects the nervous system in young children, positively and negatively. He demonstrates with examples during the lecture.

Yes, music can have a negative effect. And to put the finishing touch to his lecture, he recalls the experiment by high school student David Merrill in 1997 that won David a science award.

The experiment involved mice and music, and exposing two groups of mice to music, 10 hours a day every day for a week. One group heard the music of Mozart; the other group, the music of acid rock group, Anthrax. A third group, the control group, had no music. The experiment involved allowing the mice to navigate a 10-minute maze, then retesting a week later. This went on for three weeks, so there were four tests or each group. The results were staggering.

But what was most staggering, was the failure of the first attempt at the experiment. The group of mice exposed to rock music became cannibals, and the experiment could only be completed by isolating each mice. They could not be put in a group.

For you can then find out that the control group cut their 10-minute maze down to about 5 minutes. The group listening to Mozart’s music on the fourth test cut over eight minutes off the time.

And the group of mice exposed to the acid rock group? How did they do? Guess. But if you didn’t guess 30 minutes, you got it wrong.

Have I got your attention ? Are you interested yet? You ought to be. If I were a benevolent dictator, I would make this resource compulsory listening for all parents.

But since I’m not a benevolent dictator, you can voluntarily buy your copy by clicking on this link. Do it NOW — PLEASE!

The Profound Effects of Music on Life.

Listening to music will never be the same for you after you’ve listened to these lectures.

David Merrell’s results (in seconds):