Why Music Isn't Just an Elective: Essential Benefits for Every Student

You may have heard before that music can be an enormous benefit to the brain , particularly when it comes to children and aiding their ability to learn and develop at school.

But how helpful is music in the classroom really?

The answer is: extremely helpful.

Exposure to music and music education are invaluable assets in various areas, including cognitive, emotional, and social development. Read below to find out more about how music can be a game-changer for your children or students.

Improved Academic and Cognitive Performance

Having music in the classroom has been proven to boost cognitive and, subsequently, academic performance directly.

A study conducted on Australian children in 2015 showed that exposure to music directly correlated to improvements in areas like numeracy, attention regulation, and interpersonal skills. This finding is backed up by another study done in 2018, which found that, “Active engagement with music can impact the way that the brain processes information, enhancing the perception of language and speech, and subsequently improving our ability to communicate with others and learn to read.”

The results speak for themselves.

Students exposed to music in their learning scored 100% higher on fractions tests compared to those taught without music. Furthermore, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who participated in music lessons during grades 8-12 showed substantial improvement in math scores when compared to their non-music-learning peers. Beyond math– reading, history, geography, and even social skills all saw a remarkable 40% increase too.

Going a step further, incorporating music courses and curriculums has also shown to have a tangible benefit.

Schools that offer music programs boast higher graduation rates (90.2%) and attendance rates (93.9%) compared to schools without music education, which see averages of 72.9% and 84.9% respectively. In addition, the attendance rate in schools with music programs is 93.3% versus 84.9% in those without.

Stress Reduction and Emotional Regulation

While music can be an aid for academic performance, it has also been shown to reduce stress among students and foster a stronger sense of emotional regulation.

While it may come as no surprise to many, it’s been scientifically proven that music can affect how we feel. A study from UC Berkeley mapped 13 different emotions that music played a role in cultivating, including relaxation. In fact, music’s ability to relax and de-stress has been studied extensively. Several scientific studies on this subject have concluded that listening to music can limit aggressive behavior and assuage anxiety and stress , even so far as to help reduce bullying in the classroom as well. Therefore, music is a useful tool for helping students stay calm, focused, and in the right state of mind to learn.

Teamwork and Collaboration

Music, particularly when taught and played, fosters stronger teamwork and collaborative skills among students. When playing music in groups, especially, students are quick to learn the nuances of both verbal and nonverbal communication, whether it’s discussing the music they play, or looking to each other for cues while playing. Apart from experiencing the joy of playing music in an ensemble setting, students who play music develop a much stronger grasp of how to communicate with each other in a variety of ways.

Final Thoughts

So, what should you do with all of this information? It may seem evident that music can be a helpful asset in the classroom. Still, there are many different approaches you can take to integrating music into a student's learning process.

For one, you should include music in the classroom as much as possible, as long as the timing and context are appropriate. This can include playing music in the background while students work on simple tasks, or even allowing students to incorporate musical elements for projects and assignments. In fact, encouraging parents to help develop their children's musical prowess at home can also supplement a student’s relationship with music in school.

From a broader perspective, supporting music education in schools is another crucial way to keep music in the classroom– whether it's advocating for music education funding at your local school board, or encouraging students to take instrument lessons or other related courses. Music has the ability to impact the educational experience of every single student, regardless of where or how they learn.

Share your own experience in the comments below, how has music helped your child or student in the classroom?