We all know that music can be a powerful influence in young people’s lives and futures. It’s their favourite hobby, equal to gaming and ahead of sport, drama and dance. And there’s a growing body of academic research that shows how it can help with social and emotional, cognitive and personal development. We asked Dr Anita Collins, the world-renowned educator, researcher and writer in the field of brain development and music learning, to summarise the benefits as seen by neuroscientific research. Read on, or download the e-book. We hope you enjoy  it as much as we did.  

Music education benefits every child 

There is a commonly held belief that learning music should only be for those students who are identified as talented or interested. Neuromusical research has shown that music learning can benefit all students in terms of cognitive development. 

Our auditory (sound) processing network has been found to be our largest information-gathering sense. Our auditory processing network is our first active sensory network at birth, it never turns off even when we sleep, and it is often overlooked in educational settings. 

The only learning area that develops our auditory processing network to a high level is music. This is why so many skills that children learn through music are transferable to all other learning areas. 

There is also a commonly held belief that music should only be learned by those who will excel at it. Talent as we know it may not be an on-and-off switch, rather music learning looks and feels easier to some students because of their genetic predispositions. 

MUSIC LEARNING, ESPECIALLY BETWEEN 3-12 YEARS OF AGE, SUPPORTS THE NEURAL FOUNDATIONS FOR ALL LEARNING.

Music learning helps literacy & numeracy

Literacy: music learning has been found to …

• assist with word decoding

• improve young readers understanding of language syntax

• increase the speed at which children learn new words

• counteract the negative effects of a low socio-economic background on children’s literacy development

• improve phonological awareness for specific language sounds more than direct phonological training

• improve comprehension in beginner readers

• improve comprehension in those students experiencing reading difficulties

Numeracy: music learning has been found to …

• improve cognitive control

• improve numerical cognition

• enhance divergent thinking

• reduce mathematical anxiety symptoms

• enhance tasks switching efficiently

• increase cognitive processing speeds

• increase IQ scores by an average of 7 points

Music learning helps executive function & social skills and wellbeing

Executive function: music learning has been found to …

• improve our memory for procedure

• improve young readers attention for language learning

• develop creative and innovative thinking patterns: divergent thinking

• enhance the ability to stay on task and not get distracted: inhibitory control

• increase cognitive speeds and brain synchronicity

• improve memory for spoken instructions and directions

• increase students ability to maintain attention

Social skills & wellbeing: music learning has been found to …

• improve empathy and kindness

• promote greater levels of social engagement through life

• give greater capacity to manage depressive periods

• assist the development of trust and respect in social groups

• improves psychological wellbeing and self-regulation

• improve personal decision making skills

• improve immune and brain health

Musically trained students perform better academically

Music learning promotes the development of improved neural functioning, and this transfers across to all learning, and is evident in higher academic performance.

Music learning is a highly cognitively challenging learning experience, it teaches persistence and resilience for many years.

It promotes higher levels of neural connectivity, synchronicity and consistency and requires exceptional brain and body coordination.

MUSICALLY TRAINED CHILDREN USE LESS COGNITIVE ENERGY AND UTILISE MORE DIVERSE THINKING TO COMPLETE A TASK.

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