I could see this connection at work even in my own childhood, the ways that violin lessons and orchestra helped my mind to feel alive, to grow, to evolve. And my growth as a writer from childhood on, I feel, has always been inextricably tied to my work as a musician. My mom paid for music lessons for both me and my sister, despite the fact that she was, as she said, "tone deaf." She wanted us to have those lessons and the benefits that might accrue from them, and I have been grateful for that gift from her my whole life. The opening chapter of my recent memoir, Fiddle: One Woman, Four Strings, and 8,000 Miles of Music, looks at those early lessons - at how difficult violin was to learn, at the monotony of learning, and eventually at the gratitude I felt for having had them. Some of the benefits of those music lessons I might never know - but I do know that my life has been richer and more enjoyable for the music in it.

I have encouraged and offered my own children music lessons, and I hope that this exposure to music will help them in ways I can't even foresee. My son, especially, has taken to music, particularly piano and violin, and it has been gratifying to see him grow and develop in and around music, even to the point of starting to compose and create his own.

And it's been fun, now, to play music with him. To have a bond, a means of expression, that goes beyond spoken language, even as it helps to develop language skills. And it's been good to see my son develop from babyhood into someone who stands on his own two feet; someone who is strong, articulate, and independent; someone who has discovered firsthand the value of learning, playing, and enjoying music.