| The idea that studying music improves the social | | | | scores improved significantly for students given |
| development of a child is not a new one, but at | | | | piano instruction over a three-year period. The |
| last there is incontrovertible evidence from a | | | | researchers also found that self-esteem and |
| study conducted out of the University of | | | | musical skills measures improved for the students |
| Toronto.The study, published in the August issue | | | | given piano instruction.And data from the National |
| of Psychological Science was led by Dr. E. Glenn | | | | Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 revealed |
| Schellenberg, and examined the effect of | | | | music participants received more academic honors |
| extra-curricular activities on the intellectual and | | | | and awards than non-music students, and that the |
| social development of six-year-old children. A | | | | percentage of music participants receiving As, As |
| group of 144 children were recruited through an | | | | Bs, and Bs was higher than the percentage of |
| ad in a local newspaper and assigned randomly to | | | | non- participants receiving those grades.In 1994, a |
| one of four activities: piano lessons, voice lessons, | | | | report entitled "The Case For Music Study In |
| drama lessons, or no lessons.Two types of music | | | | Schools" was printed in Phi Delta Kappan, the |
| lessons were offered in order to be able to | | | | professional print journal for education. It included |
| generalize the results, while the groups receiving | | | | details of research conducted by physician and |
| drama lessons or no lessons were considered | | | | biologist Lewis Thomas, who studied the |
| control groups in order to test the effect of | | | | undergraduate majors of medical school applicants. |
| music lessons over other art lessons requiring | | | | Thomas found that 66 percent of music majors |
| similar skill sets and nothing at all. The activities | | | | who applied to medical school were admitted, the |
| were provided for one year.The participating | | | | highest percentage of any group.The same report |
| children were given IQ tests before and after the | | | | asserted that the very best engineers and |
| lessons. The results of this study revealed that | | | | technical designers in the Silicon Valley industry |
| increases in IQ from pre- to post-test were larger | | | | were, almost without exception, practicing |
| in the music groups than in the two others. | | | | musicians.The world's top academic countries also |
| Generally these increases occurred across IQ | | | | place a high value on music education. In a study |
| subtests, index scores, and academic | | | | of the ability of fourteen year-old science |
| achievement.While music teachers across the | | | | students in seventeen countries, the top three |
| country greeted the new research enthusiastically, | | | | countries were Hungary, the Netherlands, and |
| in fact, many other studies have previously | | | | Japan. All three include music throughout the |
| shown a correlation between music study and | | | | curriculum from kindergarten through high |
| academic achievement.In 1997, well known music | | | | school.St. Augustine Bronx elementary school, |
| researchers Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw and | | | | about to fail in 1984, implemented an intensive |
| their team at the University of California (Irvine) | | | | music program, and today 90 percent of the |
| reported that music training is far superior to | | | | school's students are reading at or above grade |
| computer instruction in dramatically enhancing | | | | level. And a ten-year study at UCLA tracked |
| children's abstract reasoning skills, the skills | | | | more than 25,000 students, and showed that |
| necessary for learning math and science. A group | | | | music making improves test scores. Regardless of |
| led by the same two scientists had earlier showed | | | | socio-economic background, music-making |
| that after eight months of piano lessons, | | | | students get higher marks in standardized tests |
| preschoolers showed a 46 percent boost in their | | | | than those who had no music involvement. The |
| spatial reasoning IQ.The March 1999 issue of | | | | test scores studied were not only standardized |
| Neurological Research published a report by | | | | tests, such as the SAT, but also in reading |
| another group of researchers, also at the | | | | proficiency exams.Music training helps |
| University of California (Irvine), who found that | | | | under-achievers as well, according to research |
| second-grade students given four months of | | | | published in Nature magazine in May 1996. In |
| piano keyboard training, as well as time playing | | | | Rhode Island, researchers studied eight public |
| newly designed computer software, scored 27% | | | | school first grade classes. Half of the classes |
| higher on proportional math and fractions tests | | | | became "test arts" groups, receiving ongoing |
| than other children.Students with coursework and | | | | music and visual arts training. In kindergarten, this |
| experience in music performance and music | | | | group had lagged behind in scholastic performance. |
| appreciation scored higher on the SAT, according | | | | After seven months, the students were given a |
| to a Profile of Program Test Takers released by | | | | standardized test. The "test arts" group had |
| the Princeton, NJ, College Entrance Examination | | | | caught up to their fellow students in reading and |
| Board in 2001. This report stated that students in | | | | surpassed their classmates in math by 22 percent. |
| music performance scored 57 points higher on the | | | | In the second year of the project, the arts |
| verbal and 41 points higher on the math, and | | | | students widened this margin even further. |
| students in music appreciation scored 63 points | | | | Students were also evaluated on attitude and |
| higher on verbal and 44 points higher on the | | | | behavior. Classroom teachers noted improvement |
| math, than did students with no arts | | | | in these areas also.In 2005, it appears the pace of |
| participation.Another part of this same study | | | | scientific research into music making has never |
| shows that longer music study means higher SAT | | | | been greater. The most recent evidence from |
| scores. For example, students participating in the | | | | the University of Toronto confirms what many |
| arts for two years averaged 29 points higher on | | | | other researchers have already detected - that |
| the verbal portion and 18 points higher on the | | | | music boosts brainpower, academic |
| math portion of the SAT than students with no | | | | achievement,socialization skills, and emotional |
| coursework or experience in the arts. Students | | | | health.It's logical, when you think about it. People |
| with four or more years in the arts scored 57 | | | | who learn to play an instruments are in groups -- |
| points higher and 39 points higher on the verbal | | | | bands, choirs, orchestras, combos, worship teams, |
| and math portions respectively than students with | | | | etc. And working and making music with others is |
| no arts coursework.Another study also found | | | | bound to help relateabilty with people and foster |
| support for a relationship between math | | | | close bonds with fellow musicians.So it appears |
| achievement and participation in instrumental | | | | that learning to play music, whether guitar, piano, |
| music instruction. The researchers found that | | | | or some other instrument, actually does |
| students who participated in instrumental music | | | | contribute to your ability to "win friends and |
| instruction in high school took on the average 2.9 | | | | influence people."Duane Shinn is the author of over |
| more advanced math courses then did students | | | | 500 music books and products such as DVD's, |
| who did not participate.In fact, various studies | | | | CD's, musical games for kids, chord charts, |
| over the last 10 years suggest teaching kids | | | | musical software, and piano lesson instructional |
| music can heighten their aptitude for math, | | | | courses for adults. He holds an advanced degree |
| reading, and engineering. (One explanation for | | | | from Southern Oregon University and was the |
| improved ability in mathematics is that music | | | | founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. |
| theory is based on mathematical truths. Rhythms | | | | He can be reached at He is the author of the |
| are divided into fractions - half notes, quarter | | | | popular free 101-week e-mail newsletter titled |
| notes and eighth notes. Scales have eight tones, | | | | "Amazing Secrets Of Piano Chords & Sizzling |
| and the steps between them follow an | | | | Chord Progressions" with over 55,000 current |
| equation.)A McGill University study in 1998 found | | | | subscribers. |
| that pattern recognition and mental representation | | | | |