Why music?
There are no good arguments against the benefits of music study for children. Quite the contrary. A search in Google for “Is music harmful for my child to study?” revealed only articles about how music benefits children. It was an experiment to see if there were any arguments against music in education, and there are none.
There have been numerous studies supporting how music enhances the IQ and academic performance.
"A Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers", The College Board, compiled by Music Educators Conference, 2001 revealed high school music students scored higher on the math and verbal portion of the SAT, compared to their peers.
A study in Neurological Research, 1997, showed that piano students understand mathematical and scientific concepts quicker and children who received piano training performed 34% higher on tests measuring proportional reasoning such as fractions, proportions, ratios and thinking in time and space.
In some of the research compiled by Wheaton College in Wheaton, Il, it was found by researchers at the Boston Children’s Hospital that after working with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), early musical training enhances the areas of the brain responsible for executive functioning. Children with at least two years of private music lessons showed increased cognitive control, information retention and behavior management.
According to a Stanford University study, the mastering of a musical instrument improves brain processing in areas associated with language development and may improve language/reading skills.
(Gabrieli, John, http//news-service.stanford.edu,Nov.2005).
In an article for pbs.org, the executive director of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), Mary Luehrisen, said, “When you look at children ages two to nine, one of the breakthroughs in that area is music’s benefit for language development, which is so important at that stage.”
Luehrisen also said children come into the world ready to decode sounds and words and music education helps enhance those natural abilities. “Growing up in a musically rich environment is often advantageous for children’s language development,” she explained.
A 2014 Time Magazine article entitled “This Is How Music Can Change Your Brain” explored how learning to play an instrument could develop brains.
It shed light on a newer study from Northwestern University on the benefits of the engagement of learning an instrument by researchers Nina Kraus, director of Northwestern’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Jane Hornickel, Dana L. Strait, Jessica Slater and Elaine Thompson of Northwestern University.
Krause stated: "Our results support the importance of active experience and meaningful engagement with sound to stimulate changes in the brain."
Kraus’s team at Northwestern was approached by the Harmony Project, a Los Angeles community music program which serves low-income children. According to the Harmony Project’s website, since 2008, 93% of their seniors have gone to college, even though there is a drop-out rate of 50% or more in their neighborhoods. The Harmony Project asked Northwestern if they could provide scientific evidence to back up their claim.
The Northwestern team conducted a study that supported those numbers and published the research in the Journal of Neuroscience.
According to a study in the Journal of Adolescent Research, which included more than 6,000 middle school students, those who participated in formal instrumental or choral music study outperformed their peers in algebra. The research suggests that “musicians process music in the same cortical regions that adolescents process algebra.”
There are other less academic benefits to music, but important nonetheless.
Practicing an instrument requires discipline and when good results are obtained it produces self-esteem, pride and recognition in the musician, revealing to them that hard work pays off.
Many young people find music is an outlet, and oftentimes it is a way to get through the tough teenage years as well as any turmoil at home. Many songwriters begin their journey in middle school and high school by playing an instrument and becoming inspired by a band teacher. They begin to write their stories on paper and learn that it’s a safe place to express themselves.
For some young people, music is their team sport. It provides a role in a group with a common goal, and the unit together creates a beautiful whole. They learn to rely on one another, trust one another, and learn to work in that team environment. Often, they go on band trips together and the camaraderie is something they never forget. They develop friendships and a support system. It is also their safe place to go when there could be empty hours to find themselves getting into trouble. It keeps them focused on a goal and many develop a passion and a purpose.
This is why Music and Kids provides support for music education for students!
There have been numerous studies supporting how music enhances the IQ and academic performance.
"A Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers", The College Board, compiled by Music Educators Conference, 2001 revealed high school music students scored higher on the math and verbal portion of the SAT, compared to their peers.
A study in Neurological Research, 1997, showed that piano students understand mathematical and scientific concepts quicker and children who received piano training performed 34% higher on tests measuring proportional reasoning such as fractions, proportions, ratios and thinking in time and space.
In some of the research compiled by Wheaton College in Wheaton, Il, it was found by researchers at the Boston Children’s Hospital that after working with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), early musical training enhances the areas of the brain responsible for executive functioning. Children with at least two years of private music lessons showed increased cognitive control, information retention and behavior management.
According to a Stanford University study, the mastering of a musical instrument improves brain processing in areas associated with language development and may improve language/reading skills.
(Gabrieli, John, http//news-service.stanford.edu,Nov.2005).
In an article for pbs.org, the executive director of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), Mary Luehrisen, said, “When you look at children ages two to nine, one of the breakthroughs in that area is music’s benefit for language development, which is so important at that stage.”
Luehrisen also said children come into the world ready to decode sounds and words and music education helps enhance those natural abilities. “Growing up in a musically rich environment is often advantageous for children’s language development,” she explained.
A 2014 Time Magazine article entitled “This Is How Music Can Change Your Brain” explored how learning to play an instrument could develop brains.
It shed light on a newer study from Northwestern University on the benefits of the engagement of learning an instrument by researchers Nina Kraus, director of Northwestern’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Jane Hornickel, Dana L. Strait, Jessica Slater and Elaine Thompson of Northwestern University.
Krause stated: "Our results support the importance of active experience and meaningful engagement with sound to stimulate changes in the brain."
Kraus’s team at Northwestern was approached by the Harmony Project, a Los Angeles community music program which serves low-income children. According to the Harmony Project’s website, since 2008, 93% of their seniors have gone to college, even though there is a drop-out rate of 50% or more in their neighborhoods. The Harmony Project asked Northwestern if they could provide scientific evidence to back up their claim.
The Northwestern team conducted a study that supported those numbers and published the research in the Journal of Neuroscience.
According to a study in the Journal of Adolescent Research, which included more than 6,000 middle school students, those who participated in formal instrumental or choral music study outperformed their peers in algebra. The research suggests that “musicians process music in the same cortical regions that adolescents process algebra.”
There are other less academic benefits to music, but important nonetheless.
Practicing an instrument requires discipline and when good results are obtained it produces self-esteem, pride and recognition in the musician, revealing to them that hard work pays off.
Many young people find music is an outlet, and oftentimes it is a way to get through the tough teenage years as well as any turmoil at home. Many songwriters begin their journey in middle school and high school by playing an instrument and becoming inspired by a band teacher. They begin to write their stories on paper and learn that it’s a safe place to express themselves.
For some young people, music is their team sport. It provides a role in a group with a common goal, and the unit together creates a beautiful whole. They learn to rely on one another, trust one another, and learn to work in that team environment. Often, they go on band trips together and the camaraderie is something they never forget. They develop friendships and a support system. It is also their safe place to go when there could be empty hours to find themselves getting into trouble. It keeps them focused on a goal and many develop a passion and a purpose.
This is why Music and Kids provides support for music education for students!
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