One of the most surprising benefits from an early education in music is the ability to use .... drum roll please ... scissors. Seriously. There's a rhythm to using scissors, a coordination of the fine motor skills, the thumb and pointing finger, working together, yet separately. Eye-hand coordination is moving the hand and scissors forward in a straight line without cutting off anything really important. (Gulp). Like a finger.
Practice with rhythm and instruments helps a child use scissors. Not so funny thing is that kindergarten teachers say that children are starting school without this very basic skill.
Read it here in the Chicago Tribune.