“I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.” – Plato
There are countless studies that prove students that are involved with music are cognitively, socially, and emotionally strong in many aspects of their life. In fields such as neuroscience, psychology, and sociology, experts have heavily researched the developmental effects of music on the brain and body, with astonishingly positive results.
Music is a Science. It is exact, specific, and it demands exact acoustics. A conductor’s score is a chart, a graph with indicated frequencies, intensities, volume changes, melody, and harmony all at once and with the most exact control of time. Instruments are designed with the complicated laws of physics and acoustics in mind, and we use advanced technology every day in the classroom to perfect our execution of the music.
Music is Mathematical. It is rhythmically based on the subdivisions of time into fractions which must be done instantaneously; not worked out on paper. Music theory closely mimics the laws of mathematics.
Music is a Foreign Language. Most of the terms are in Italian, German, or French; and the notation is certainly not English, but a highly developed kind of shorthand that uses symbols to represent ideas. The semantics of music are the most complete and universal language. Learning to correctly translate symbols into sounds defines how to learn both music and spoken languages.
Music is History. Music usually reflects the environment and times of its creation – the country, its values, and current political feelings. Music has deeply shaped and altered the course of history. Unique cultural aesthetics are communicated clearly through music, and tie together historical events. There is so much content that doctorate degrees are offered in Music History at most major institutions.
Music is Physical Education. It requires fantastic coordination and control of muscles which respond instantly to the sound the ear hears and the mind interprets. A large part of improving on an instrument is building up the facial, abdominal, and arm muscles necessary to produce sound on the instrument! Professional musicians almost always have intense muscular workout routines.
Music is Immortal. It has been around since man first discovered he could organize the noise around him and create something which would transcend and uplift the human experience. Music HAS and WILL live on as long as there are ears and minds to listen to and appreciate art.
Music is Art. It allows a human being to take all these dry, technical functions that we discuss in class and use them to create wordless emotion that never truly leaves one’s soul.
Want specific evidence, proof, theories, and examples of these claims? View the video player at the bottom of the page for many videos connecting music to math, science, history, languages, and the duty of an artist!
Click here to see my personal teaching philosophy in the classroom.
The NAMM Foundation has compiled hundreds of facts and quotes from multiple studies that concisely detail just how powerful music education is. Here are a few highlights!
“Children who study music tend to have larger vocabularies and more advanced reading skills than their peers who do not participate in music lessons (Arete Music Academy. “Statistical benefits of music in education.” Arete Music Academy. Accessed July 17, 2014).”
Students in high-quality school music education programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of community (Nature Neuroscience, April 2007).
Music training in childhood “fundamentally alters the nervous system such that neural changes persist in adulthood after auditory training has ceased” (Skoe, E. & N. Kraus. 2012. A little goes a long way: How the Adult Brain Is Shaped by Musical Training in Childhood. The Journal of Neuroscience, 32(34):11507–11510).
Musically trained children performed better in a memory test that is correlated with general intelligence skills such as literacy, verbal memory, visiospatial processing, mathematics, and IQ (Dr. Laurel Trainor, Prof. of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behavior at McMaster University, 2006).
Children who study a musical instrument are more likely to excel in all of their studies, work better in teams, have enhanced critical thinking skills, stay in school, and pursue further education (Arte Music Academy. “Statistical benefits of music in education.” Statistical-Benefits-Of-Music-In-Education. Accessed July 17, 2014).
To view the entire PDF, please click here:
Aside from statistical evidence, the art of music shapes the emotional lives of people all over the world. Music has defined culture for generations. Educating our future citizens and leaders on both the inner workings of music and its larger humanitarian goals is crucial to the success of our country.
“To encourage literature and the arts is a duty which every good citizen owes to his country.” – George Washington
“Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and by studying music in schools, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective.” – Bill Clinton
“Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them – a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music.” – Gerald Ford
“The arts are central to who we are as a people, and they are central to the success of our kids. This is not an afterthought. This is not something you do because it’s nice to do. It is necessary for these young people to succeed that we promote the arts.” – Barack Obama
“A kid with a music degree isn’t limited to a performance or teaching career. Musicians are everywhere. We are project managers, marketers, Finance folks, IT people and engineers. In my twenty-some years as a corporate HR person, I was always impressed by the way musical people excelled at logic and non-linear thinking, both.” – Liz Ryan, “Let the kids study music, already!” Forbes, September 3, 2014
Internet Article Links:
- NAfME – 20 Important Benefits of Music In Our Schools
- EMT – 18 Benefits of Playing a Musical Instrument
- NY Times – Is Music the Key To Success?
- Edutopia – Lessons from Band Class That Can Help Students Develop as Readers
- Google finds STEM skills aren’t the most important skills
- Education Week – Studying Music Helps Children’s Brains Develop
- TIME – This Is How Music Can Change Your Brain
- Scientific American – Hearing the Music, Honoring the Mind
- PBS – The Benefits of Music Education
- Science News – First Evidence That Musical Training Affects Brain Development In Young Children
- NAMM – How Children Benefit from Music Education in Schools
- Northwestern – How Music Class Participation Can Spark Brain Development
- 12 Reasons Why Everyone Should Join Band
Handouts:
- Be a Part of the Band Handout
- Creativity in 21st Century Workforce Preparation
- Learning, Arts, and the Brain
- STEM Versus STEAM
- Music Matters
- The Benefits of Music Education
- Why Learn to Play Music?
- This Is Your Brain on Piano
Peer-Reviewed Studies:
- How Can All People Continue to Be Involved in Meaningful Music Participation?
- Music Lessons and Intelligence: A Relation Mediated by Executive Functions
- The power of music: Its impact on the intellectual, social and personal development of children and young people
- Long-Term Positive Associations Between Music Lessons and IQ
Video Library:
