Music is part of the fabric of our everyday lives. It’s an important component of cultural history and expression; primitive forms of music existed before language even did. It can express a vast range of emotions, and is present almost any time that people gather together. It can be a healthy outlet for expression, a fun hobby, and a useful communication tool. But did you know that music can also vastly impact a child’s education and development? In celebration of #KidsMusicDay, we’re sharing just a few of the reasons why musical expression and music education are so important:
- Language. Music has a huge impact on language acquisition. Research from Northwestern University shows that regular, intensive, instrument-based music education results in permanent improvement in brain function. That improvement can be so profound that it can negate what’s called the “signature of poverty” that results from a child’s limited exposure to language and literacy.
- Spatial-Temporal Reasoning. Research also suggests that listening to and playing music helps visualize and understand spatial relationships. This helps in problem solving, particularly in the fields of mathematics, architecture, art, and engineering.
- Test Scores and IQ. Childhood music education has shown to increase IQ by about 7 points. Research suggests that students with strong music education perform about 20% on standardized tests than students without music education.