Most, if not all of us, bring music into our worlds on a daily basis, letting it enrich our lives. Because of this, at its base level, music is an easy topic for all of us to agree on – regardless of your favorite genre, artist, etc.

Ask someone if music is a plus or a minus in their life, and most often you’ll hear “It’s a big plus!” echo again and again. Music is a universal positive, all around the world.

When it comes to music education, however, while we all likely agree on its importance, debates tend to pop up on just how much of a difference music education can make.

Debate away, but the truth is that a growing body of evidence now demonstrates music education’s profound impact on cognitive development, academic achievement, and even future success as well. Let’s take a closer look…

Fact #1: Music Gives a Brain Boost

Neuroscience now shows us that learning a musical instrument increases both brain power and functionality, in the short term and the long term.

Results from a 2021 study at the University of Zurich “suggest that long-term musical training is associated with robust changes in large-scale brain networks."

Indeed, in a summary of the work, the researchers noted –

“Musicians’ brains were vastly more structurally and functionally connected than non-musicians, especially in areas of the brain responsible for speech and sound (especially the auditory cortices of both hemispheres)…

The musical group also showed stronger connections from the auditory cortices to other brain areas… known to be involved in the control of higher cognitive functions like memory, working memory, and executive functions.”

The researchers also noted that the earlier a student started with musical practice, the stronger the connectivities were. Plus, the increase in brain power and functionality remains even if a student eventually stops training.

And this study is just one of many pointing to the same results – learning an instrument is good for the brain.

Fact #2: Science, Math, and English All Improve

In another big boost to the positive connection between music students and academic performance, a 2020 study at the University of British Columbia, which compiled data from over 100,000 students in Canada, found music students earning higher grades in a large range of different school subjects.

The study also discovered that students who played an instrument performed even better than students training as singers, which is likely a testament to the brain boost connection we noted above..

As one of the researchers, Martin Guhn, noted, “Learning to play a musical instrument and playing in an ensemble is very demanding. A student has to learn to read music notation, develop eye-hand-mind coordination, develop keen listening skills, develop team skills for playing in an ensemble and develop discipline to practice.”

Regardless of the students musical choices, the study clearly showed higher performance in everything from science to math to English.

Fact #3: It Affects Long Term Success

Results from a 2019 study revealed that students who participate in music education are both more likely to graduate high school and also more likely to pursue higher education as well. The research noted a strong positive impact of music education on student engagement, resilience, and motivation, while highlighting a stronger commitment to overall academic success.

In other words, music education proved to be a win-win-win for students!

A different study from the National Endowment for the Arts discovered that low-income students who participated in music programs went on to attend college at a significantly higher rate than their peers who did not receive any music education.

Both studies noted above clearly show that music education helps students move forward to higher academic achievement in the long term.

The Research Mirrors What We See in Practice

It was no secret in our own work here at MMI that a great music program can positively alter kids’ lives, and it’s great to see research backing this up as well. Findings like these encourage students, teachers, and program creators like us alike to keep working, to push the envelope, and to make as big a difference as possible.

Other Sources

https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/want-smarter-kids-teach-music-not-coding-according-to-mit.html
https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/how-music-changes-the-brain-study
https://www.forbes.com/sites/evaamsen/2019/06/25/high-school-students-do-better-in-science-math-and-english-if-they-also-take-music-lessons/?sh=534e49102fda
https://bbico.com/impact-music-education-academic-achievement/
https://www.musicly.uk/scripted/the-impact-of-music-education-on-academic-achievement-key-research-findings
Hidalgo, C., & Rodriguez, C. (2019). Impact of instrumental music instruction on high school graduation rates. Psychology of Music, 47(1), 26-36.