The importance of learning a craft

has apparently finally been recognised in a neuroscience journal. It has taken a while.
Yes, it was only a tiny paragraph in the paper and I imagine that the actual paper in the journal is as dry as desert dust to read but the results should actually have made headlines. The "craft" that was particularly studied was music but the visual arts were also included. 
Children who studied music were said to have developed a greater ability to concentrate, a greater spatial awareness, better motor-coordination and more.  Yes, I'd believe all of that. I would also believe it of children who did other arts and crafts. 
My nephews and niece all studied music and acting - two of them performed professionally. Has it helped them? I think it has. 
Ms W sings in the school choir and can play a recorder ("properly") and she has had parts in school plays. She is in the junior public speaking and debating teams. She also loves to create with "anything messy" and draw or paint.  Her father encourages it at home because there is little time for it at school.
And there is the problem. Even though her school insists that all girls must do something along those lines there isn't much time for it. The school curriculum is full of things that "must" be done. The idea that doing music or art or pottery or drama for a short period each day may actually help you to do maths, physics, biology or computer coding may be recognised but it isn't acted upon. 
    "There's no time..." is something I keep hearing. The girls play sport - for Ms W this is cricket and swimming in summer and basketball and hockey in winter. She is in the junior cricket team and has once or twice been in the junior hockey team. She can play a social game of tennis but sport isn't something she particularly enjoys. The time it takes is something she resents. She would rather ride her push bike, especially with her father, or go swimming without the pressure of having to win. 
And yes, that sounds like a lot of sport for a teen but it is no more than some and less than many in this sports mad country.  Yes, sport is important for teaching physical skills, team work and so on but should music, art, craft and drama have to be abandoned because there is "no time"?
Ms W turned up yesterday with two hot cross buns. She had made them herself.  She had used a bread mix and added spice and fruit. They were pretty good too.  She had done some research on line about "what to do about the currants and stuff". When I asked her why she said, "Because when I was doing the apples the other day I put some sultanas in instead of sugar and they stopped being so wrinkly so I figured they used some of the water like that play-clay stuff I used once." 
Yes, playing around with some play dough years ago had taught her an important lesson. She used her imagination and any number of other skills to provide us with a treat. 
Thank you Ms W. That is one of the many reasons I love you.