Benefits of Music
Music is the language of the soul: it makes your heart sing; it enhances your mood; it makes your day.
It is a lesser-known fact that music education has a significant impact on scholastic performance, neurological development, and social well-being.
Statistics have shown the many educational benefits children reap from learning to play a musical instrument.
Learning music:
Instils confidence
Allows children to express themselves creatively in ways they never could before
Enhances visual and aural memory
Develops attention spans
We have researched the most reliable and persuasive documentary sources indicating a direct link between learning to play a musical instrument and achieving excellence in a wide range of areas. In our research we discovered the following remarkable facts:
Academic Performance:
Music students who took piano lessons scored significantly higher on standardized math tests than those who learned other instruments.⁽¹⁾
Students’ reading skills improved dramatically when music and art were added to the school curriculum.⁽²⁾
In a study on SAT scores, music students scored 57 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and 41 points higher on the math portion than students with no arts education.⁽³⁾
High school music students have higher grade-point averages than non- music students and are more likely to go on to university than non-music students.⁽⁴⁾
There is a direct correlation between music education and high math achievement – a connection that has been noted for many years.⁽⁵⁾
Neurological Benefits:
Neurological research has shown that music education enhances abstract reasoning skills needed to learn math and science.⁽⁶⁾
Learning to read music enhances the ability to perform the skills necessary for reading, listening, anticipating, forecasting, memory training, recall skills, concentration techniques and speed reading.⁽⁷⁾ Given merely six months of piano lessons, students showed dramatic improvement in their spatial-temporal reasoning skills.⁽⁸⁾
A neurological study found that music connects and develops the motor systems of the brain in a way that cannot be done by any other activity; and music involves brain functions (both left and right hemispheres) more fully than any other activities studied.⁽⁹⁾
Social Skills:
A study found that children who had taken three years of piano instruction had significantly higher self-esteem than children who were not taking piano lessons.⁽¹⁰⁾
Learning music teaches children: self discipline, dedication, teamwork, self confidence and humility.⁽¹¹⁾
Well-Being:
High school students who participated in a band or an orchestra reported the lowest levels of substance abuse.⁽¹²⁾
Music students are less likely to drop out of high school.⁽¹³⁾
⁽¹⁾ Rauscher, F. H. (2003). Can music instruction affect children’s cognitive development? Retrieved May 2, 2009, from http://www.katherinemichielsschool.org/pdfs/music_and_cog_develop.pdf
⁽²⁾ New York City Board of Education. (1980). Learning to read through the arts, title I children's program P. S. 9. New York: New York City Board of Education. Division of Curriculum and Instruction.
⁽³⁾ The Foundation for Universal Music Literacy. (2002). How music can dramatically effect your child’s development and life-time success: A summary of the current scientific literature concerning music and the mind. Retrieved April 30, 2009, from http://www.pianocommando.com/music.pdf
⁽⁴⁾ The Foundation for Universal Music Literacy.
⁽⁵⁾ Bodner, M., Derr, C., Leng, X., Patera, J., Peterson, M., Ticheli, F., et al. (2002). Music math connections. Retrieved April 30, 2009, from http://prenatalbabyeducation.com/Early%20Childhood%20Connections.pdf
⁽⁶⁾ Petress.
⁽⁷⁾ Winston, E. W. (1982). 3 R's and an M. Music Educators Journal, December, 40.
⁽⁸⁾ Graziano.
⁽⁹⁾ The Foundation for Universal Music Literacy.
⁽¹⁰⁾ The Foundation for Universal Music Literacy.
⁽¹¹⁾ Petress.
⁽¹²⁾ Petress.
⁽¹³⁾ McNeal, R. B. (1995). Extracurricular activities and high school dropouts [Electronic version]. Sociology of Education, 68(1), 62-80.
Bibliography
Bodner, M., Derr, C., Leng, X., Patera, J., Peterson, M., Ticheli, F., et al. (2002). Music math connections. Retrieved April 30, 2009, from http://prenatalbabyeducation.com/Early%20Childhood%20Connections.pdf
Chong, S. & Gan, L. (1998). The rhythm of language: Fostering oral and listening skills in Singapore pre- school children through an integrated music and language arts program [Electronic version]. Early Child Development and Care, 144, 39-45.
Graziano, A. B., Peterson, M., & Shaw, G. L. (1999). Enhanced learning of proportional math through music training and spatial-temporal training [Electronic version]. Neurological Research, 21(2), 139- 52.
Hetland, L. (2000). Learning to make music enhances spatial reasoning [Electronic version]. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 34(3/4), 179-238.
McNeal, R. B. (1995). Extracurricular activities and high school dropouts [electronic version]. Sociology of Education, 68(1), 62-80.
New York City Board of Education. (1980). Learning to read through the arts, title I children's program P. S. 9. New York: New York City Board of Education. Division of Curriculum and Instruction.
Petress, K. (2005). The importance of music education. Retrieved April 30, 2009 from http://www.umpi.maine.edu/~petress/ArticleA56.pdf
Rauscher, F. H. (2003). Can music instruction affect children’s cognitive development? Retrieved May 2, 2009, from http://www.katherinemichielsschool.org/pdfs/music_and_cog_develop.pdf
The Foundation for Universal Music Literacy. (2002). How music can dramatically affect your child’s development and life-time success: A summary of the current scientific literature concerning music and the mind. Retrieved April 30, 2009, from http://www.pianocommando.com/music.pdf
Winston, E. W. (1982). 3 R's and an M. Music Educators Journal, December, 40.