STEM education

4 Reasons Music Education Is Important For An Analytical Mind

In any type of STEM related career, there are certain skills that can make you more successful in your analytical endeavors. According to research, learning a musical instrument is a great way to exercise and strengthen some of those skills. By blurring the lines between the arts and STEM, we can better prepare our students to be more well rounded as they encounter the problems of tomorrow's world. Below are 5 skills that we as engineers use on a daily basis that a musical education can help to foster.

Aids in Teaching and Improving Math Skills

While learning a musical instrument and participating in an activity that is traditional viewed as more creative, music is rooted in math. By learning to read notes, understand rhythm, and comprehend beat, children are being exposed to basic addition and subtraction, division, and fractions. 

In addition, music tends to follow patterns as does mathematics. Music helps to hone a students skills to pick out patterns and put them to use.

Teaches Responsibility, Work Ethic, and Perseverance

Being able to master an instrument or even be remotely good at playing one requires a large amount of practice, time, and patience. By understanding that learning an instrument is not a quick feat, students can start to understand the difference between long term and short term goals and create a commitment to a goal that takes time and focus to achieve. In addition, t o be able to maintain this level of practice, a student of music must be diligent and responsible in maintaining a consistent practice schedule. By learning this discipline early, they are building skills that will be useful later in life when they are confronted with an analytical problem that cannot be solved overnight. Failure becomes a part of the learning process instead of something to be avoided.

Learning To Work As A Team

The majority of musicians have at one point played or learned a piece of music in a group setting. Whether a band or an orchestra or even a smaller group like a quartet, there is value in learning to play music in harmony (get it?) with a group of people because it adds depth to the music being played. In order to play in a group, students learn that they are part of a bigger goal and have to play their role in ensuring the piece is played as best it can be. For example, if a cellist decided that they wanted to be the start of the show and play the melody, there would be not backbone to the piece being played. It is a great way to show students the importance of team work early in life while doing a creative and fun activity with their friends.

Exposure To Different Cultures

By learning a musical instrument, you get the opportunity to explore different countries through the language of song. Music makes it easy to expose kids to rock, jazz, blues, folk, and more which can give them a glimpse into the past to the sounds of the times that were at hand. Music can also be directly connected to certain times in history such as World War II, the French Revolution, and the Civil Rights Movement. By exercising their ability to understand the differences between multiple cultures, they will be more prepared to work with a variety of cultures, religions, mindsets, and beliefs later in life as they solve complex problems related to STEM. Problems related to STEM can drastically affect the general population's daily life, and it is important for engineers to understand the impact they can have and be sensitive to the potential shift they can cause.

10 Reasons Why Every Mom Is a #STEM Expert

In honor of Mother’s Day, we wanted to point out all the amazing ways that mothers truly embody all things #STEM!

  1. Mothers understand the complexity of acoustics and sound travel to be able to hear an accident, fight, or secret across long distances.

  2. Mothers know just the right mixture of laundry detergent, stain remover, and elbow grease to wipe out any clothing stain.

  3. Mothers are the technological super geniuses that somehow figure out how to turn on, program, or setup any new toy, gadget, or appliance.

  4. Mothers are experts at necessary social skills: negotiating any decision to make everyone feel like they have won!

  5. Mothers can remember the exact mathematical measurements to cook a flawless meal or make a mean batch of cookies without being able to hear themselves think. (Fathers too on this one!)

  6. Mothers have sonar embedded within them to be able to locate a lost item in t-minus 30 seconds or less.

  7. Mothers know how to balance any complex equation such as how to pickup 3 kids from 3 different locations at the same time and get them all home in time for a family meal.

  8. Mothers know the exact dimensions that every article of clothing needs to be shaped like to perfectly fit in every family member’s drawers.

  9. Mothers know how to optimize the packing of any suitcase, car, or backpack for maximum capacity and minimal waste.

  10. Mothers are the architects of their children: erecting them to be contributing, thriving members of society that will give back to the world all they have given them.

We hope you enjoyed our fun take on why all moms qualify as #STEM experts. In all seriousness though, Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing mommas out there. Keep rockin’ it!


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FREEBIE! - Start the Day with STEM: Get Your Daily STEM Facts Calendar!

One of our favorite mottos is “Practice Makes Perfect”. To become an expert or learn anything, you must consistently be present in learning, practicing, and absorbing that subject or skill.

So, in order to keep STEM top of mind and to immerse yourself in STEM learning, we have created a monthly STEM facts calendar for you! Each month, you will receive a full month of fun STEM facts to keep you learning all year long!

How can you use these STEM facts? Below are a couple suggestions for our STEM loving mommas and killer STEM educators!

Momma Tips

  1. Read our STEM fact of the day at breakfast with the kiddos to get a fun, STEM focused dialog started over your Cheerios! If it is something that sparks an interest for your family, do a bit of extra research on that fact during the day.

  2. Read the STEM fact at lunch time to add some fun to the middle of the day!

  3. Discuss the STEM fact over dinner with the whole family and gather each family member’s take on the fact. Were they surprised? Did they already know that? Have fun with it and make it a nightly game!

Teacher Tips

  1. Use our STEM fun fact to be a consistent check point to start the day. By creating routine in your classroom, your students will have an idea of what to expect and will look forward to the fun and sometimes surprising fact!

  2. If you review the facts on a regular basis, let your students pick a fact from the year and do a research project on it. Get them to dive into something that they didn’t know before!

  3. Close the day with our STEM fun fact and ask the students to come back the next day with some research on the subject. This will take their learning out of the classroom and will be a consistent and enjoyable way for them to bring their education home to their parents!

All around, these fun facts are a quick and easy way to integrate STEM into your family’s routine or your classroom’s routine.

Click below to make STEM a part of your day to day routine with Growin’GEERS!

8 Must Have STEM Books to Ignite An Interest in Engineering

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Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding

Age Range: 4 - 8 years
Grade Level: Preschool - 3

This is one of our top picks because it encompasses the application of engineering skills. Not only are you learning about Ruby and following her adventure, you learn about conceptual coding concepts, how to break down a problem, and how to look for patterns. The key to any successful engineer is to understand that you can solve anything you put your mind to, and this book is a great way to encourage kids that they can do anything!


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Mistakes That Worked: 40 Familiar Inventions & How They Came to Be

Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Grade Level: 3 - 7

At Growin’GEERS, we are all about encouraging failure. There are few great engineers that have accomplished something amazing that haven’t experienced failure hundreds of time. This book is a great way to give students examples of how failures can be great learning experiences and how you can truly stumble into something great by never giving up.


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Rosie Revere, Engineer

Age Range: 6 - 9 years
Grade Level: 1 - 4

Rosie is a great all encompassing example of what it takes to be an engineer. Her aunt acts as a wonderful role model within the story, and her focus on encouraging her to not quit is so critical to building a strong and resilient engineering mindset. This is a great starter book for any child who hasn’t hear of engineering, is just beginning to show an interest, or is an old pro at STEM activities.


Ancient Rome: Monuments Past and Present

Age Range: All Ages
Grade Level: All Grades

Growing up, this was one of my favorite books. It is such an interesting way to not only compare past and present but to see how the ancient Romans approached architecture. What they were able to accomplish in the time is remarkable, and this is a great book to get it into the hands of budding engineers! In addition, this is a great book for students that aren’t the best readers. There is a lot to leann from the images alone, so it works for an array of ages.


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Anna the Engineer

Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Grade Level: 3 - 7

This is a fun and engaging story that follows the journey of Anna as she decides what she should do for her science fair project. The reading level is a bit higher, so this is a great pick for students at an upper elementary reading level. We love it because it breaks the traditional thought process associated with a science fair and introduces engineering as a valid science fair project option!


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The Giant Book of Creativity for Kids: 500 Activities to Encourage Creativity in Kids Ages 2 to 12--Play, Pretend, Draw, Dance, Sing, Write, Build, Tinker

Age Range: 2 - 12 years
Grade Level: K - 7

Growin’GEERS is a firm believer that creativity and critical thinking is a must-have skill to be a successful engineer. This book gives a lot of small, easy to take activities that exercise that creativity! In addition, it spans a large age range so this is a great read for families with a wide range of ages!


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I Can't Do That, YET: Growth Mindset

Age Range: 6 - 9 years
Grade Level: 1 - 4

Engineering is all about solving the world’s problems. However, if you don’t believe you have the skills to get it done, you never will! This is a great read to encourage students to understand that they may not be great at everything now, but they can be if they value growth and learning through the entirety of their lives. By instilling these values early in life, kids can be better prepared for the skills that they may not be great at from the beginning.


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Engineered!: Engineering Design at Work

Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Grade Level: 3 - 7

We love this one for the attention that is paid to connecting engineering to real world scenarios. As one of our main missions, we know how important it is to connect concepts to application, and this one does an amazing job making that connection! Plus, the illustrations are so fun!