It’s no secret that taking part in musical activities has a significant positive effect on young people’s academic achievement. There are countless news stories from reputable organizations that extol the virtues of music education, and it is easy to find discussions by experts in neuroscience about just how impactful music can be.
There is ample proof that music aids intellectual development in a number of different subjects for students of all ages and has a lasting effect as they age.
Just listening to music is known to have positive effects on your mind and mood, as anyone who has ever relaxed to their favorite song can attest. But playing music does even more, helping young people deal with anxiety and with boundless other issues that can arise during development. And, in the long run, music makes you live longer, hear better, and think more clearly well into the late stages of life.
Yes, music is, without question, one of the best methods for creating intelligent, well-rounded students, and its benefits extend well beyond the school years. Of course, this is not news to us in the music world, but there are many places where music is being cut from school curricula. It is up to us to advocate for the importance of music education and share the wealth of evidence that it is key to the development of young minds.
Check out this sampling of articles on music and the brain:
- How band class alters the teenage brain
- Taking a music class in high school improves teen language skills
- How playing an instrument benefits your brain
- Playing an instrument helps children’s anxiety
- Musical training offsets some academic achievement gaps
- How brains see music as language
- Why music makes our brain sing
- This is your brain on music, CNN
- The Beatles’ surprising contribution to brain science
- Bobby McFerrin hacks your brain with music
- Learning a musical instrument protects brain
- This is your brain. This is your brain on music, NPR
Have a favorite article on the relationship between music and development? Share it in the comments!
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