A 1997 Gallup survey on Americans’ attitudes toward music revealed that 89% of respondents believe music helps a child’s overall development.
– Americans’ Attitudes Toward Music, The Gallup Organization, 1997
Over nine in ten adults (93%) surveyed agree that music is part of a well-rounded education.
– Americans’ Attitudes Toward Music, The Gallup Organization, 1997
Researchers at the University of Muenster in Germany have discovered that music lessons in childhood actually enlarge parts of the brain. An area used to analyze the pitch of a musical note is enlarged 25% in musicians compared to people who have never played an instrument. The earlier the musicians were when they started musical training, the bigger this area of the brain appears to be.
– Pantev et al., Nature, April 23, 1998
There is a very high correlation between self-perception, high cognitive competence scores, healthy self-esteem, total interest, school involvement and the study of music.
– O.F. Lillemyr, “Achievement Motivation as a Factor in Self-Perception,” Norwegian Research Council for Science and the Humanities
Studying music strengthens students’ academic performance. Studies have indicated that sequential, skill-building instruction in art and music integrated with the rest of the curriculum can greatly improve children’s performance in reading and math.
– Martin Gardiner, Alan Fox, Faith Knowles and Donna Jeffrey, “Learning Improved by Arts Training,” Nature, May 23, 1996
People who participate in the arts live longer than others, according to a Swedish study.
– British Medical Journal, 1996
In a 2000 Gallup Poll, seventy-five (75%) percent of respondents believe learning a musical instrument helps students do better in other subjects, such as math and science.
– Gallup Poll shows Strong Support for putting Music in every School’s Curriculum, Giles Communications, 2000
Students in arts programs are more likely to try new things, and they can better express their own ideas to friends, teachers and parents.
– Champions of Change, the President’s Council on the Arts and Humanities, 1999
The scores of elementary instrumental music students on standardized math tests increased with each year they participated in the instrumental program.
– “Music Training Helps Underachievers,” Nature, May 26, 1996
A majority of the engineers and technical designers in Silicon Valley are also practicing musicians.
– The Case of Sequential Music Education in the Core Curriculum of the Public Schools, Center for the Arts in the Basic Curriculum, 1997
Nine out of ten people with instrumental music experience are glad that they have learned to play an instrument.
– Music Ed Survey, Giles Communications, 2000
The average scores achieved by music students on the 1999 SAT increased for every year of musical study. This same trend was found in SAT scores of previous years.
– Steven M. Demorest and Steven J. Morrison, “Does Music Make You Smarter?,” Music Educators Journal, September, 2000
In a 2000 survey, seventy-three (73%) percent of respondents agree that teens who play an instrument are less likely to have discipline problems.
– Americans Love Making Music – and Value Music Education More Highly than Ever, American Music Conference, 2000
A ten-year study indicates that students who study music achieve higher test scores, regardless of socioeconomic background.
– Dr. James Catterall, UCLA
The College Board, in a publication about college admissions, states, “preparation in the arts will be valuable to college entrants whatever their intended fields of study.”
– Academic Preparation for College: What Students Need To Know And Be Able To Do, The College Board
A 2000 Georgia Tech study indicates that a student who participates in at least one college elective music course is 4.5 times more likely to stay in college than the general student population.
– Dr. Denise C. Gardner, Effects of Music Courses on Retention, Georgia Tech, 2000
Music therapists working with Alzheimer’s patients have found that rhythmic interaction or listening to music resulted in decreased agitation, increased focus and concentration, enhanced ability to respond verbally and behaviorally, elimination of demented speech, improved abaility to respond to questions and better social interaction.
– Carol Prickett and Randall Moore, The Use of Music to Aid Memory of Alzheimer’s Patients,” Journal of Music Therapy, 1991
College admissions officers continue to cite participation in music as an important factor in making admissions decisions. They claim that music participation demonstrates time management, creativity, expression and open-mindedness.
– Carl Hartman, “Arts May Improve Students’ Grades,” The Associated Press, October, 1999
Nine out of ten adults and teenagers who play instruments agree that music making brings the family closer together.
– Music Making and Our Schools, American Music Conference, 2000
Research shows when a child listens to classical music the right hemisphere of the brain is activated, but when a child studies a musical instrument both left and right hemispheres of the brain ‘light up.’ Significantly, the areas that become activated are the same areas that are involved in analytical and mathematical thinking.
– Dee Dickinson, “Music and the Mind,” New Horizons for Learning, 1993
Practicing musicians demonstrate twenty-five (25%) percent more brain activity than non-musicians when listening to musical sounds.
– Exposure to Music is Instrumental to the Brain, University of Muenster
Students with good rhythmic performance ability can more easily detect and differentiate between patterns in math, music, science and the visual arts.
– “Rhythm seen as key to man’s evolutionary development,” TCAMS Professional Resource Center, 2000
According to a 2000 survey, eighty-one (81%) percent of people responding believe that participation in school music corresponds with better grades and test scores. This is an increase of fourteen (14%) percent over the 1997 results for the same question..
– Attitudes, NAMM, 2000
Music students demonstrate less test anxiety and performance anxiety than students who do not study music.
– “College-Age Musicians Emotionally Healthier than Non_Musician Counterparts,” Houston Chronicle
Courses in music, as well as in art and drama, positively influenced the decisions of high school students not to drop out of school.
– N.H. Barry, J.A. Taylor and K.Walls, “The Role of the Fine and Performing Arts in High School Dropout Prevention”
Ninety-two (92%) percent of people who play an instrument say they were glad they learned to do so, according to a 2000 Gallup Poll.
– Gallup Poll shows Strong Support for putting Music in every School’s Curriculum, Giles Communications, 2000
Students who can perform complex rhythms can also make faster and more precise corrections in many academic and physical situations, according to the Center for Timing, Coordination and Motor Skills.
– Rhythm seen as key to music’s evolutionary role in human intellectual development, Center for Timing, Coordination and Motor Skills, 2000
On the 1999 SAT, music students continued to outperform their non-arts peers, scoring 61 points higher on the verbal portion and 42 points higher on the math portion of the exam.
– Steven M. Demorest and Steven J. Morrison, “Does Music Make You Smarter?,” Music Educators Journal, September, 2000
Students who are rhythmically skilled also tend to better plan, sequence and coordinate actions in their daily lives.
– “Cassily Column,” TCAMS Professional Resource Center, 2000
In academic situations, students in music programs are less likely to draw unfounded conclusions.
– Champions of Change, Federal study, 1999
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30 reasons to take music lessons
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