Cindy Eckhoff
I am a homeschool mom of 4 and have been homeschooling for 15 years. I hold my Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas in Music Education. Before becoming a mom, I was a band director for 4 years in the Lewisville and Arlington school districts on both the middle school and high school levels. I have taught concert band, jazz band, marching band, color guard, beginning woodwinds and percussion, music theory and handbells.
My mother was both a teacher and a musician, so education and music have been a part of my life since birth. I play the oboe and piano, and also some bassoon. For me, band was a major part of my life in high school. Besides just the music, I enjoyed the great group of kids and learning to work hard and cooperate as a team. Band was a place where I felt like I belonged and contributed. Plus, we just had lots of fun being together.
Music education has many excellent benefits. Research shows a correlation between music exposure and positive brain development, particularly in the area of abstract reasoning skills. Practicing an instrument causes both the right & left sides of the brain to work simultaneously, which is an advantage to thinking that carries over for several hours after the practice time. Students involved in musical performance and music appreciation courses consistently score higher on their SATs – in both math and verbal areas – than students who do not participate in music. Music is a universal way to express ourselves in a way anyone can understand. Playing an instrument is a great way to learn self-discipline, problem solving skills, diligence and creativity.
I could go on for pages and pages about the positive effects participation in a musical group can have on students, but there is one thing that is even more important than all these. My goal is to provide an opportunity for homeschool kids to play in an instrumental group in order to use and refine the talents God has given them for His glory, and to challenge them to use those gifts to minister to others.
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