Music proves valuable teaching tool Chesterfield celebrating program that helped student move ahead At 2 years old, Tory Shelton had the cognitive ability of a 10-month-old. She did not speak or understand when spoken to. “We tried a lot of ways to get through to her, and sign language helped some,“ said her mother, Lynn Shelton. “It wasn’t until she started going to the art and music classes at Alberta Smith Elementary . . . that she really started opening up.“