7 Surprising Benefits of Music Education

By Abigail Connors

Listen to the singing, the laughing, and the shouting; the jumping, stomping, and clapping; the exuberant thumping of drums, the rhythmic rattling of maracas, and the festive jingling of bells. Listen to children making music, and it’s easy to hear they’re having fun.

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What’s not so obvious is that while children are singing and clapping, jumping and wiggling, and shaking and tapping on instruments, there’s a whole lot of learning—and growing—going on.

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Children, unlike adults, learn primarily through sound. They naturally focus attention more easily on sound than on visual stimuli. The rhythmic sound of music, in particular, captures and holds children’s attention like nothing else, and makes it a valuable learning tool.

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Music education increases children’s intelligence, academic success, social skills, and even physical fitness, in ways that may surprise you.

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BRAIN CELLS SING

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Music activities boost brainpower. Numerous studies have shown that participating in musical activities can increase children’s success in school, I.Q. scores, and cognitive skills such as reasoning and memory.

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In fact, playing and listening to music promote healthy brain development. “Nothing activates as many areas of the brain as music,” says researcher Donald Hodges, Covington Distinguished Professor of Music Education and director of the Music Research Institute at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

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Music leads to literacy skills. Since music training supports the brain’s ability to process sights and sounds, it may help support emergent literacy skills. Earlier this year, researchers at Long Island University found that music instruction over a three-year period increased children’s vocabulary and verbal sequencing ability—key components in the acquisition of reading and language skills. Since children are naturally drawn to musical activities, music education may be a uniquely effective way to help develop their reading ability.

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Another plus: Music adds to children’s understanding of math. Music is based on mathematical principles and proportions. When young children sing even the simplest songs, they absorb elements of math—repeated, measured patterns of tones, rhythms, and words—without realizing it.Several studies have confirmed this link. “When children learn rhythm, they are learning ratios, fractions, and proportions,” says Professor Gordon Shaw at the University of California, Irvine, after his study of 7-year-olds in Los Angeles. Increased mathematical reasoning was particularly pronounced in children who received piano instruction.

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Music helps children live in harmony with others. Making music together builds bonds of trust and communication, and strengthens the feeling of belonging in a group. And music activities are so much fun that children are motivated to behave appropriately to join in. As children sing, move, and play instruments together, they practice social skills like taking turns, respecting others’ boundaries, and listening to others’ ideas in a relaxed, playful setting. All are vital for emotional well-being and academic success.

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Music is active. Kids love to move to music—to march, tiptoe, stretch, stomp, wave their arms, jump, clap, or just dance to the beat. Research suggests that children who are physically active in school are more likely to be physically active at home. Moving to music (a great rainy day pastime) keeps children fit and thus helps prevent childhood obesity.

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RAISE YOUR VOICE

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Singing helps children stay strong. Professor Graham Welch of the University of London, who has studied developmental and medical aspects of singing for 30 years, says, “Singing has physical benefits because it is an aerobic activity that increases oxygenation in the bloodstream and exercises major muscle groups in the upper body, even when sitting.” And, he adds, “Singing reduces stress levels through the action of the endocrine system, which is linked to our sense of emotional well-being.” When children sing in music class, they’re not only having fun, they’re getting a physical workout and reducing stress too!

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Music supports self-expression. There’s no right or wrong way to shake maracas or tap a tambourine. There are no rules to follow or complex directions to understand. This is why music education is especially important for English-learning students and special-needs students, who can fully participate in the universal language of music. Music gives children the freedom to think, imagine, and create. The joy of expressing one’s individuality supports every aspect of learning and makes every day more meaningful and fun.

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Every child needs and deserves the joy of music and the intellectual and physical advantages of a full music-education program. With new research continually adding to the list of its learning and health benefits, music education sounds better and better.