The pace of scientific research into music making has
never been greater. New data about music's relationship to brainpower, wellness
and other phenomena is changing the way we perceive mankind's oldest art form,
and it's having a real-world effect on decisions about educational
priorities.The briefs below provide a glimpse into these exciting developments.
For a more in-depth treatment of current music science, visit The
International Foundation for Music Research, and
to see updates on the latest findings, check the "Build Your Case" section of SupportMusic.com.
Did You Know?
Middle school and high school students who participated in
instrumental music scored significantly higher than their non-band peers in
standardized tests. University studies conducted in Georgia and Texas found
significant correlations between the number of years of instrumental music
instruction and academic achievement in math, science and language arts.
Source: University of Sarasota Study, Jeffrey Lynn Kluball; East Texas State
University Study, Daryl Erick Trenta
Students who were exposed to
the music-based lessons scored a full 100 percent higher on fractions tests than
those who learned in the conventional manner. Second-grade and third-grade
students were taught fractions in an untraditional manner by teaching them basic
music rhythm notation. The group was taught about the relationships between
eighth, quarter, half and whole notes. Their peers received traditional fraction
instruction.
Source: Neurological Research, March 15, 1999
Music
majors are the most likely group of college grads to be admitted to medical
school. Physician and biologist Lewis Thomas studied the undergraduate majors of
medical school applicants. He found that 66 percent of music majors who applied
to med school were admitted, the highest percentage of any group. For
comparison, (44 percent) of biochemistry majors were admitted. Also, a study of
7,500 university students revealed that music majors scored the highest reading
scores among all majors including English, biology, chemistry and math.
Sources: "The Comparative Academic Abilities of Students in Education and in
Other Areas of a Multi-focus University," Peter H. Wood, ERIC Document No.
ED327480 "The Case for Music in the Schools," Phi Delta Kappan, February, 1994
Music study can help kids understand advanced music concepts. A
grasp of proportional math and fractions is a prerequisite to math at higher
levels, and children who do not master these areas cannot understand more
advanced math critical to high-tech fields. Music involves ratios, fractions,
proportions and thinking in space and time. Second-grade students were given
four months of piano keyboard training, as well as time using newly designed
math software. The group scored over 27 percent higher on proportional math and
fractions tests than children who used only the math software.
Source:
Neurological Research March, 1999
A McGill University study found
that pattern recognition and mental representation scores improved significantly
for students given piano instruction over a three-year period. They also found
that self-esteem and musical skills measures improved for the students given
piano instruction.
Source: Dr. Eugenia Costa-Giomi, "The McGill Piano
Project: Effects of three years of piano instruction on children's cognitive
abilities, academic achievement, and self-esteem," presented at the meeting of
the Music Educators National Conference, Phoenix, AZ, April, 1998
Data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 showed
that music participants received more academic honors and awards than non-music
students, and that the percentage of music participants receiving As, As/Bs, and
Bs was higher than the percentage of non-participants receiving those grades.
Source: National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 First Follow-Up
(1990), U.S. Department of Education.
Research shows that piano
students are better equipped to comprehend mathematical and scientific concepts.
A group of preschoolers received private piano keyboard lessons and singing
lessons. A second group received private computer lessons. Those children who
received piano/keyboard training performed 34 percent higher on tests measuring
spatial-temporal ability than the others even those who received computer
training. "Spatial-temporal" is basically proportional reasoning – ratios,
fractions, proportions and thinking in space and time. This concept has long
been considered a major obstacle in the teaching of elementary math and science.
Source: Neurological Research February 28, 1997
Young children
with developed rhythm skills perform better academically in early school years.
Findings of a recent study showed that there was a significant difference in the
academic achievement levels of students classified according to rhythmic
competency. Students who were achieving at academic expectation scored high on
all rhythmic tasks, while many of those who scored lower on the rhythmic test
achieved below academic expectation.
Source: "The Relationship between
Rhythmic Competency and Academic Performance in First Grade Children,"
University of Central Florida, Debby Mitchell
High school music
students score higher on SATs in both verbal and math than their peers. In 2001,
SAT takers with coursework/experience in music performance scored 57 points
higher on the verbal portion of the test and 41 points higher on the math
portion than students with no coursework/experience in the arts.
Source:
Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, compiled by Music
Educators National Conference, 2001.
College-age musicians are
emotionally healthier than their non-musician counterparts. A study conducted at
the University of Texas looked at 362 students who were in their first semester
of college. They were given three tests, measuring performance anxiety,
emotional concerns and alcohol related problems. In addition to having fewer
battles with the bottle, researchers also noted that the college-aged music
students seemed to have surer footing when facing tests.
Source: Houston
Chronicle, January 11, 1998
A ten-year study, tracking more than
25,000 students, shows that music-making improves test scores. Regardless of
socioeconomic background, music-making students get higher marks in standardized
tests than those who had no music involvement. The test scores studied were not
only standardized tests, such as the SAT, but also in reading proficiency exams.
Source: Dr. James Catterall, UCLA, 1997
The world's top academic
countries place a high value on music education. Hungary, Netherlands and Japan
stand atop worldwide science achievement and have strong commitment to music
education. All three countries have required music training at the elementary
and middle school levels, both instrumental and vocal, for several decades. The
centrality of music education to learning in the top-ranked countries seems to
contradict the United States' focus on math, science, vocabulary, and
technology.
Source: 1988 International Association for the Evaluation of
Educational Achievement (IAEEA) Test
Music training helps
under-achievers. In Rhode Island, researchers studied eight public school first
grade classes. Half of the classes became "test arts" groups, receiving ongoing
music and visual arts training. In kindergarten, this group had lagged behind in
scholastic performance. After seven months, the students were given a
standardized test. The "test arts" group had caught up to their fellow students
in reading and surpassed their classmates in math by 22 percent. In the second
year of the project, the arts students widened this margin even further.
Students were also evaluated on attitude and behavior. Classroom teachers noted
improvement in these areas also.
Source: Nature May 23, 1996
"Music education can be a positive force on all aspects of a child's
life, particularly on their academic success. The study of music by children has
been linked to higher scores on the SAT and other learning aptitude tests, and
has proven to be an invaluable tool in classrooms across the country. Given the
impact music can have on our children's education, we should support every
effort to bring music into their classrooms."
Source: U.S. Senator Jeff
Bingaman (NM)
"The nation's top business executives agree that
arts education programs can help repair weaknesses in American education and
better prepare workers for the 21st century."
Source: "The Changing
Workplace is Changing Our View of Education," Business Week, October
1996.
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