This article was written for Paducah Parenting magazine.
What DOES the Research Say?
No matter how many times I see the research, I continue to be amazed at the results when
scientists measure the effects of music on children. Time and time again, the conclusions are
compelling for the idea that music is not just a nice thing for our children, but an essential
ingredient of their education and development.
Consider the following:
At the University of Munster in Germany, scientists
discovered the portions of the brain used to analyze pitch
were 25% larger in children who took music lessons than in
those who had never played an instrument.
A 2-year study with preschoolers led by behavioral
psychologist, Frances Rauscher, and physicist, Dr.
Gordon Shaw, compared the effects of certain types of
instruction and activities on intellectual development. Four
groups of students were given either piano/keyboard
lessons, singing lessons, private computer lessons, or
free-play time for 20 minutes, 5 days a week. At the end of
6 months, the children were given tests to measure
spatial-temporal ability. Those children who received the
piano/keyboard training performed 34% higher than the
other children.
In another study, students with music training scored an
average of 52 points higher on the verbal portion of the
SAT and 36 points higher on the math portions of the SAT
than students with no musical experiences.
EEG studies have demonstrated that the same brain
regions activated by music are also used when performing
spatial-temporal tasks, such as solving puzzles.
A research team studying first-graders from two Rhode
Island elementary schools found that the students who
participated in a regular and structured music learning
program exhibited dramatic increases in reading and
math.
In the March 1999 issue of Neurological Research, a
study showed that a group of second and third-graders
who learned eighth, quarter, half and whole notes, scored
100% higher than peers who were taught fractions using
traditional methods.
Again, Dr. Gordon Shaw conducted research with 2nd
grade children who were given 4 months of piano
keyboard training, as well as time playing with
specially-designed learning software. Those given the
training scored 27% higher on proportional math and
fraction tests than children who had not received training.
Dr. Shaw said of the results, "Piano instruction is thought
to enhance the brain's 'hard-wiring' for spatial-temporal
reasoning, or the ability to visualize ratios, fractions,
proportions and thinking in space and time."
Why these results? Neuroscience shows us that our early experiences, notably those from birth
to age 6 determine which brain cells (neurons) will connect with other brain cells and which ones
will become inactive. The more neural connections that are generated, the more learning that
takes place, and the more capacity for intelligence built in the brain. The experiences with music
build connections of brain cells in a way that few other disciplines will. It has been theorized that
this is because it is so perfectly organized mathematically. The rhythms in music are
mathematical---the meter in music is mathematical---even the frequencies of the vibrations of
musical octaves are mathematically related.
When looking further at the research, piano/keyboard training is often a factor for the students
who outperform others. Perhaps the piano students in Drs. Rauscher and Shaw's study
outperformed even the singers, because the music. . . . a set of mathematically ordered
neurological information, was experienced by the largest number of senses. The seeing,
hearing, and tactile-kinesthetic senses are all involved, not to mention the emotional sense---all
being processed and coordinated simultaneously by the brain!!
Yes, music has the power to bridge into the mind like nothing else. It is the only thing that
provides multi-sensory information at the same time with the same set of perfectly-ordered
(mathematical) information. By not providing musical experiences for your child, you are
missing out on one of the greatest possible gifts you can give your child - a well-developed,
organized neural network brought about by continuous exposure to, and participation in music.
Music is not just a nice thing to do for our children. It is essential!