Music is a universal experience. With few exceptions, all
humans perceive musical pitch, tone, timbre, and harmony
(Sacks 2007). We listen to music to relax, to help us think,
to celebrate, and to grieve. Our emotional responses to music have
been noted in literature, poetry, and drama. The power of music to
evoke an emotional response is used by advertising companies, film
directors, and mothers singing their babies to sleep (Levitin 2006).
Early education teachers are familiar with using music and rhythm
as tools for learning language and building memory. However, the
potential of music to help across all special education settings is
largely unexplored