How Music Education Boosts Academic Performance in Children

As parents, it’s unavoidable to have a desire to see your kids excel academically and achieve so much in school. Maybe it’s one of the reasons you enrol them in specialised classes or let them try various hobbies–to let them explore things and use and share these experiences in class.

With this, do you know there’s a particular lesson you can take your kids to for its proven correlation with improved academic performance? Various studies have shown that incorporating music education into young children’s lives is beneficial and can be linked to many educational benefits and success.

Indeed, music education is not just an enjoyable extracurricular activity or summer workshop for young kids to pass the time. Many parents and educators have already recognised the holistic advantages of exposing them to music lessons early on, like language development and math skills.

So, while we’re on the topic, below, you can learn more about music education and why it is truly helpful in children’s academic performance and success.

 

What is Music Education?

Like any other type of education, music education entails learning all things related to music. For instance, it covers singing, playing instruments, reading musical notes, and music theory.

Music education has a broad scope to cater to each child’s music-related interests. Here are some types of music education that you can let your kid participate in:

• Instrumental Programs: This type of music education focuses on teaching children to play different instruments. Some instrumental programs that are popular in developing musical skills are violin lessons, guitar lessons, piano lessons, and cello lessons.
• Music Theory: If your kid is more interested in learning and understanding the structure and composition of music, the music theory program offers these topics. Your child can learn how to read notes, rhythms, pitch, and harmony in this class. Some providers of music theory lessons in Singapore are good to highlight for their solid foundation that raises excellent musicians.
• General Music Classes: This last one is also famous among kids who like singing and performing musicals. Classes under general music include singing, rhythm activities, exploring musical styles, and instilling a general appreciation for music.

These types of music education are often more specialised and offered in music academies and institutions. Music education is incorporated into the school curriculum through extracurricular activities like violin classes, guitar classes, and music clubs.

Academic Benefits of Music Education:

Memory and Learning

Multiple studies have already cited that learning music, specifically the part where a kid needs to play an instrument or read sheet music, is a great way to enhance cognitive abilities involving memory and learning.

A study by The Journal of Neuroscience found that early childhood musical training stimulates memory development and enhances other non-musical skills. Moreover, due to the “intense, multisensory, and motor experience” brought by music education, there’s a demonstration of structural brain development that can be linked with improved skills.

Language Development

Another positive impact music education has on children is language development. Frontiers in Education study has revealed that kids with a music education background showcase better reading comprehension and have cognitive advantages compared to those without music training.

Specifically, children who understand and recognise pitches, rhythms, and sounds in music also have developed auditory skills directly related to reading and language comprehension.

With that, it can be assumed that music lessons not only foster a love for music but also develop kids’ love for reading and storytelling.

Math Skills

Music and math share many similarities and are considered to be closely intertwined. Both fields use patterns, sequences, and rhythm, making children who study music develop a solid mathematics foundation.

A good article supporting this claim is the research of PubMed, which highlights how musical education can improve a child’s brain to grasp spatial-temporal skills, which are also critical for solving math problems.

Long-Term Impact on School Success

As mentioned, music education lays the foundation for children to achieve more in school. Once the foundation is there, it also sets young kids up for long-term success, from primary school through college.

Below are some of the long-term benefits music education can provide to children.

• Enhanced Cognitive Skills: Through consistent musical practice, children can strengthen their cognitive abilities, which are necessary to excel in complex subjects. A long-term study suggests that children taking music lessons obtain higher GPAs and perform better on math and reading tests than their peers. The findings further added that the benefits of music education in terms of cognitive skills got even better over time.
• Developed Creative Capacities: Creativity is a top skill employers or universities look for in candidates. Good thing. This is one of the core abilities that music lessons develop in children, alongside originality and flexibility.
• Focus and Discipline: Another benefit of having your kids learn an instrument or study music is that it naturally instils and develops focus and discipline among them. These skills are two of the most valuable across industries and areas of study.
• College Admissions: Music education is also viewed as something helpful, especially in the college admission process. An analysis of 10 years of SAT data showed that individuals who participated in music training performed excellently in math and verbal tests. With this, music participation can also be linked to higher graduation rates, as kids in music programs are likely to pursue higher education.

Practical Ways Parents and Schools Can Incorporate Music Education

Now that you know all the advantages of incorporating music into your kid’s life, you might wonder, “As a parent or educator, what can I do?” There are many practical ways you can do to engage children in music and reap the benefits of doing so.

Check out these tips below to learn how schools or you as a parent can effectively incorporate music education into a child's life early on.

• Introduce them to various musical styles; expose them to pop, jazz, classical, and other world music genres. This practice could tickle their curiosity and encourage them to explore their music taste.
• Give children access to instruments. Try buying them music-related toys or renting real instruments so they can find the one that can resonate with them.
• Bring your kids to live performances, as it can inspire them and persuade them to take music lessons.
• Check out online lessons and applications to make music more accessible for kids. Just ensure that adults supervise them.
• Enrol them in in-person musical classes or try finding community music groups so they can share and discuss their interest with others.
• For schools, add more music-centred extracurricular programs to encourage children to build their interest in the subject.
• Lastly, make it fun. Music should still be fun, after all.

Nurturing Young Minds Through Music

After all the information regarding the benefits of music education has been laid out, you learn that it is more than just a hobby. Music education can be your tool to shape your child’s academic journey and overall development.

Many parents and educators have already recognised the power of music education, and you should, too. Partnering with experts like Music LifeStyle Academy can help you kickstart your child’s musical journey.

We are a music academy in Singapore committed to nurturing young musicians to reach their fullest potential. As an accredited ABRSM Examination Centre, we provide age-targeted music education for ages three and above, catering to beginners and advanced students.

Whether you’re looking for music theory lessons in Singapore or need help planning a tailored music education program, we support you at every step.

Contact us, and let’s make music a part of your kid’s success story!