In recent years, research on the brain has provided information on how the brain works. Neurologists have been interested in the study of the relationship between music and the brain in normal people. They have tried to determine how the human brain processes musical sounds differently from other sounds. It has been believed that music is associated with the type of thinking in the right brain. But the right brain is not solely responsible for all musical abilities. The purpose of this study was to review the current neurological research in order to show the importance of the use of the whole brain, to give scientific support to aesthetic music education and to determine the implications for music instruction for young children. Musical ability is not a single capacity. Music perception is complex and involves multisensory, emotional and intellectual experiences. The musical mind presented in this study is based on the whole brain/mind, i.e., the musical mind functions with the whole brain. Musical training encourages the use of the whole brain in processing musical information. Higher cognitive processes involve the activity of the whole brain. Music can be used not only as a window into examining higher brain functions but also as a means to enhance them. From many scattered research findings, the picture of the musical mind was outlined as understanding the functions of the brain in music. The formation of the musical mind is very important in aesthetic music education for young children because of its contributions to the development of the aesthetic potential. A holistic approach to music education proposed in this study is based on a sense of wholeness having two basic ideas; the musical mind using the whole brain and an aesthetic experience focusing on wholeness. Holistic education nurtures the development of the whole person. The aesthetic domain is an area in which music makes unique contributions to the development of the whole being. This concept is now reinforced by current neurological research which supports the viability of the whole brain/mind. The early years are very important since it is the time when the malleable mind is being formed. Research findings provide clear implications for music instruction. Researchers emphasize that the emotion is very important, that the brain's ability for learning is infinite, that enriched environment and opportunity are very important, that early music training helps remodel young brains, and that music instruction has an effect on other types of intelligence if the brain is exposed to music in the children's early years. Aesthetic music education is comprehensive education. Music education is not a process for providing a number of professional musicians or music educators. Rather, it is a process for cultivating the whole child/person. This study tried to show the importance of music education from neurological research findings.

제1장 서론 
제2장 음악 능력에 관한 신경과학 연구 
제3장 신경과학 연구와 심미적 음악교육 
제4장 유/아동기 음악교육을 위한 신경과학 연구결과 
제5장 결론 
참고문헌 
영문초록

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