Santa is Serenaded at Diamond Learning Center!

Elijah De La Cerda, Cover Model with Eva Longoria for the Toys R Us Differently-Abled Guide

Santa came a few days early at The Diamond Learning Center, where Learning Is For Everyone, no matter their abilities or disabilities.  Five year old Elijah De La Cerda joined the student performers in the Diamonds in the Rough Band as they serenaded Santa with some rockin’ Christmas Carols.  Santa brought special smiles to those at Diamond Learning today as they communicated their wish lists to Santa and his elves.

Music is a key component to learning and communication to all people, especially so for those with developmental disabilities or traumatic brain injury, such as with Congresswoman Gabby Gifford’s recovery.  Each component of music affects a different part of the brain.  For example, a familiar song activates the left frontal lobe, timbre the right frontal lobe, and pitch the left posterior. One side of the brain processes the word while the other processes the music – activating the whole brain ensures better retention.

Short-term memory has the ability to hold only seven bits of information. If bits of information are bonded together, as in a song, it can be processed as one piece. By condensing the information, the brain is able to receive and process more, making music an effective learning avenue for many.

Diamond Learning Center’s concert band, Diamonds in the Rough will be performing their rock and roll concert on February 24, 2012 at the Tower Theater.  Come out and watch them shine!  for more information, visit www.dlclife.org.