| The idea that studying music improves the social | | | | truths. Rhythms are divided into fractions - half |
| development of a child is not a new one, but at | | | | notes, quarter notes and eighth notes. Scales |
| last there is incontrovertible evidence from a | | | | have eight tones, and the steps between them |
| study conducted out of the University of Toronto. | | | | follow an equation.) |
| The study, published in the August issue of | | | | A McGill University study in 1998 found that |
| Psychological Science was led by Dr. E. Glenn | | | | pattern recognition and mental representation |
| Schellenberg, and examined the effect of | | | | scores improved significantly for students given |
| extra-curricular activities on the intellectual and | | | | piano instruction over a three-year period. The |
| social development of six-year-old children. A | | | | researchers also found that self-esteem and |
| group of 144 children were recruited through an | | | | musical skills measures improved for the students |
| ad in a local newspaper and assigned randomly to | | | | given piano instruction. |
| one of four activities: piano lessons, voice lessons, | | | | And data from the National Education Longitudinal |
| drama lessons, or no lessons. | | | | Study of 1988 revealed music participants |
| Two types of music lessons were offered in | | | | received more academic honors and awards than |
| order to be able to generalize the results, while | | | | non-music students, and that the percentage of |
| the groups receiving drama lessons or no lessons | | | | music participants receiving As, As/Bs, and Bs |
| were considered control groups in order to test | | | | was higher than the percentage of non- |
| the effect of music lessons over other art | | | | participants receiving those grades. |
| lessons requiring similar skill sets and nothing at all. | | | | In 1994, a report entitled "The Case For Music |
| The activities were provided for one year. | | | | Study In Schools" was printed in Phi Delta Kappan, |
| The participating children were given IQ tests | | | | the professional print journal for education. It |
| before and after the lessons. The results of this | | | | included details of research conducted by physician |
| study revealed that increases in IQ from pre- to | | | | and biologist Lewis Thomas, who studied the |
| post-test were larger in the music groups than in | | | | undergraduate majors of medical school applicants. |
| the two others. Generally these increases | | | | Thomas found that 66 percent of music majors |
| occurred across IQ subtests, index scores, and | | | | who applied to medical school were admitted, the |
| academic achievement. | | | | highest percentage of any group. |
| While music teachers across the country greeted | | | | The same report asserted that the very best |
| the new research enthusiastically, in fact, many | | | | engineers and technical designers in the Silicon |
| other studies have previously shown a correlation | | | | Valley industry were, almost without exception, |
| between music study and academic achievement. | | | | practicing musicians. |
| In 1997, well known music researchers Frances | | | | The world's top academic countries also place a |
| Rauscher, Gordon Shaw and their team at the | | | | high value on music education. In a study of the |
| University of California (Irvine) reported that | | | | ability of fourteen year-old science students in |
| music training is far superior to computer | | | | seventeen countries, the top three countries |
| instruction in dramatically enhancing children's | | | | were Hungary, the Netherlands, and Japan. All |
| abstract reasoning skills, the skills necessary for | | | | three include music throughout the curriculum |
| learning math and science. A group led by the | | | | from kindergarten through high school. |
| same two scientists had earlier showed that after | | | | St. Augustine Bronx elementary school, about to |
| eight months of piano lessons, preschoolers | | | | fail in 1984, implemented an intensive music |
| showed a 46 percent boost in their spatial | | | | program, and today 90 percent of the school's |
| reasoning IQ. | | | | students are reading at or above grade level. And |
| The March 1999 issue of Neurological Research | | | | a ten-year study at UCLA tracked more than |
| published a report by another group of | | | | 25,000 students, and showed that music making |
| researchers, also at the University of California | | | | improves test scores. Regardless of |
| (Irvine), who found that second-grade students | | | | socio-economic background, music-making |
| given four months of piano keyboard training, as | | | | students get higher marks in standardized tests |
| well as time playing newly designed computer | | | | than those who had no music involvement. The |
| software, scored 27% higher on proportional | | | | test scores studied were not only standardized |
| math and fractions tests than other children. | | | | tests, such as the SAT, but also in reading |
| Students with coursework and experience in | | | | proficiency exams. |
| music performance and music appreciation scored | | | | Music training helps under-achievers as well, |
| higher on the SAT, according to a Profile of | | | | according to research published in Nature |
| Program Test Takers released by the Princeton, | | | | magazine in May 1996. In Rhode Island, |
| NJ, College Entrance Examination Board in 2001. | | | | researchers studied eight public school first grade |
| This report stated that students in music | | | | classes. Half of the classes became "test arts" |
| performance scored 57 points higher on the | | | | groups, receiving ongoing music and visual arts |
| verbal and 41 points higher on the math, and | | | | training. In kindergarten, this group had lagged |
| students in music appreciation scored 63 points | | | | behind in scholastic performance. After seven |
| higher on verbal and 44 points higher on the | | | | months, the students were given a standardized |
| math, than did students with no arts participation. | | | | test. The "test arts" group had caught up to their |
| Another part of this same study shows that | | | | fellow students in reading and surpassed their |
| longer music study means higher SAT scores. For | | | | classmates in math by 22 percent. In the second |
| example, students participating in the arts for two | | | | year of the project, the arts students widened |
| years averaged 29 points higher on the verbal | | | | this margin even further. Students were also |
| portion and 18 points higher on the math portion | | | | evaluated on attitude and behavior. Classroom |
| of the SAT than students with no coursework or | | | | teachers noted improvement in these areas also. |
| experience in the arts. Students with four or | | | | In 2005, it appears the pace of scientific research |
| more years in the arts scored 57 points higher | | | | into music making has never been greater. The |
| and 39 points higher on the verbal and math | | | | most recent evidence from the University of |
| portions respectively than students with no arts | | | | Toronto confirms what many other researchers |
| coursework. | | | | have already detected - that music boosts |
| Another study also found support for a | | | | brainpower, academic achievement,socialization |
| relationship between math achievement and | | | | skills, and emotional health. |
| participation in instrumental music instruction. The | | | | It's logical, when you think about it. People who |
| researchers found that students who participated | | | | learn to play an instruments are in groups -- |
| in instrumental music instruction in high school took | | | | bands, choirs, orchestras, combos, worship teams, |
| on the average 2.9 more advanced math courses | | | | etc. And working and making music with others is |
| then did students who did not participate. | | | | bound to help relateabilty with people and foster |
| In fact, various studies over the last 10 years | | | | close bonds with fellow musicians. |
| suggest teaching kids music can heighten their | | | | So it appears that learning to play music, whether |
| aptitude for math, reading, and engineering. (One | | | | guitar, piano, or some other instrument, actually |
| explanation for improved ability in mathematics is | | | | does contribute to your ability to "win friends and |
| that music theory is based on mathematical | | | | influence people. |