Benefits of Musical Instruction
.png)
Band is much more than a class to play an instrument. It is the development of a family of friends that lasts a lifetime and establishes some profound influences. These influences will determine much of your child’s success in all aspects of education, not just music. There has been a lot of research about the benefits of music, some of which are listed below!
​​
​
A research team reports that early music training dramatically enhances children's abstract reasoning skills. These findings indicate that music uniquely enhances higher brain functions required for mathematics, chess, science and engineering.
Neurological Research, Feb 28, 1997; Frances Rauscher, Ph.D., Gordon
Shaw, Ph.D, University of California, Irvine
A study at MIT concluded in December 2020 and published in the Journal of Neuroscience found:
"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 in the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortex known to be involved in the control of higher cognitive functions like memory, working memory, and executive functions.
​
A two-year Swiss study involving 1,200 children in 50 schools showed that students involved in the music program were better at languages, learned to read more easily, showed an improved social climate, showed more enjoyment in school, and had a lower level of stress than non-music students.
Der Musikalische Mensch, Weber, E.W., Spychiger, M. & Patry, J.L.
​
​
​
​
​
​
The College Entrance Examination Board found that students involved in public school music programs scored 107 points higher on the SAT's than students with no participation.
Profiles of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board
​​
​
U.S. Department of Education data on more than 25,000 secondary school students found that students who report consistent high levels of involvement in instrumental music over the middle and high school years show "significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12."
U.S. Department of Education NELLS88 Database
