Children are the future. Music contributes to a child"s total development and allows for children to creatively express themselves. This Bontempi Showtime Stage or Table Microphone is much more fun to sing with than a hairbrush in the mirror. This funky Karaoke Microphone has 10 demo songs, 2 sound effects buttons playing drums or applause and a volume control. It has an adjustable microphone stand that will extend to about 3 feet. The base includes light effects, which flash with the beat of the music. Use it on your table top for pretend interviews or radio shows and then on the stand for stage performances. You may also use the microphone independent of the demo songs. Hours of fun.It requires 4 AA batteries, not included. Approximate length of the microphone is 8" and is suitable for ages 3 and up. Bontempi believes that all children must be able to bring the magical world of music, play and learning to their lives with the highest quality products. Combining music and performance in early child development has been examined with various results. Techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance scanning, together with studies on localized brain lesions, have shown that listening to music activates a wide distribution of brain areas. The primary auditory area lies classically in the transverse and superior temporal gyri, but particular components of musical appreciation involving rhythm, pitch, metre, melody, and timbre are processed in many different areas of the brain. Some research has cited evidence that music improves logic and spatial reasoning. In 1996, the College Entrance Exam Board Service conducted a study on all students taking their SAT exams. Students who sang or played a musical instrument scored 51 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and an average of 39 points higher on math.