Why do I use music when I teach? 'Cause it works! See Below
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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.
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
Trent.
Did You Know? 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.
Did You Know? 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.
Did You Know? 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.
Did You Know? 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.
Did You Know? 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.
Did You Know? 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.
Did You Know? 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.
Did You Know? 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.
Did You Know? 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.
Did You Know? 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 Lateral, UCLA,
1997.
Did You Know? 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.
Did You Know? 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.
Did You Know? 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).
Did You Know? 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.
Napa School Of Music-Napa California
Via Long Beach School of Music