Research studies from Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and around the world have proven what we know from anecdotal experience – music makes kids smarter.
The more kids play and perform, the more they are able to absorb the myriad of benefits, including transferable skills like self-confidence, focus, collaboration, leadership, time management, organization and more; more likely to get good grades, be on the honour roll, get accepted to university, be offered scholarships; be more well-rounded and attractive to employers both now and in the future.
Check out this video to learn more about the long-term benefits of music education.
Research links:
Arts Education and Positive Youth Development: Cognitive, Behavioral, and Social Outcomes of Adolescents who Study the Arts – University of Maryland
Associations between Music Education, Intelligence, and Spelling Ability in Elementary School– University of Ulm (2011)
Associations Between School Music Participation and Academic Achievement – UBC (2019)
Examination of Relationships between Participation in School Music Programs of Differing Quality and Standardized Test Results – University of Kansas (2006)
Extended Music Education Enhances the Quality of School Life – University of Jyväskylä
Emotional Intelligence and Strategies for Coping with Stress amoung Music Students in the Context of Visual Art and General Education Students – Kazimierz Wielki University (2020)
Group Music Training and Children’s Prosocial Skills – University of Toronto Mississauga
Longitudinal Analysis of Music Education on Executive Functions in Primary School Children – Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, ArtEZ University of the Arts and the University of Amsterdam (2018)
Long-Term Musical Group Interaction has a Positive Influence on Empathy in Children – University of Cambridge (2013)
Long-Term Positive Associations Between Music Lessons and IQ – University of Toronto
Mozart Effect, Cognitive Dissonance, and the Pleasure of Music – Laval University, Harvard University, Air Force Research Laboratory (2013)
Music and Academic Performance – Laval University, Harvard University, Air Force Research Laboratory (2013)
Music Education, Academic Achievement, and Executive Functions – University of North Carolina, University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, RTI International and Wolf Brown (2017)
Music Education Intervention Improves Vocal Emotion Recognition – University of Hull in the UK, the Levinsky College of Education and Bar-Ilan University in Israel (2015)
Music Lessons Enhance IQ – University of Toronto Mississauga (2004)
Music Training Alters the Course of Adolescent Auditory Development – Northwestern University and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Music Training and Emotion Comprehension in Childhood – University of Toronto (2012)
Music Training, Cognition, and Personality – University of Toronto Mississauga (2013)
Musical Training Influences Linguistic Abilities in 8-Year-Old Children: More Evidence for Brain Plasticity – Aix-Marseille-Universités and the Universidade do Porto (2009)
Orff-Based Music Training Enhances Children’s Manual Dexterity and Bimanual Coordination – University of Porto and Piaget Institute (2018)
Selected Demographic Variables, School Music Participation, and Achievement Test Scores of Urban Middle School Students – Ohio State University (2008)
Teaching Writing through the Arts in Urban Secondary Schools: A Case Study – University of California and California State Polytechnic University (2008)
The Benefits of Adult Piano Study as Self-Reported by Selected Adult Piano Students – University of North Texas (2003)
The Effect of a Music Program on Phonological Awareness in Preschoolers – Justus-Liebig-University (2011)
The Effects of Musical Training on Verbal Memory – University of Michigan, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and John Hopkins University (2008)
The Trait Emotional Intelligence of Ballet Dancers and Musicians – University of London (2006)
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Fine Arts Courses Help Students Excel In Math And Science
Music Teacher Played His Saxophone While In Brain Surgery
Family medicine music to former Oakville teacher’s ears
Boost Memory and Learning with Music
Musician Plays Her Violin During Brain Surgery – NPR
Why one school board believes studying music is essential for all – CBC
Success in Music. Success in Life. It’s no coincidence.
The power of music: how it can benefit health – Medical News Today
The 18 Wonderful Ways Music Affects the Brain – NuMusician
Music Lessons for Children – How Kids Benefit from Music Education
20 Important Benefits of Music In Our Schools – NAfME
Music Boosts Test Scores – University of Kansas
How to improve the school results: not extra maths but music, loads of it – UK Guardian newspaper, about Feversham Primary Academy