Why Music Matters
Studies show link to better academic performance

Whenever a hard-pressed school district must resolve a budget shortfall one of the most frequently used fiscal remedies is to cut music and art classes. The next time this subject comes up in your school district, consider this:

A growing body of research indicates that from age of 3 through high school, student’s brains work more effectively if the children study music. Fran Raucher, a former cello prodigy who became a researcher at the University of California-lrvine’s Center for the Neurobiology of Learning, has found a cause-and-effect link between musical knowledge and higher brain function of the sort that produce better performances in math and science.

The process won’t work, Raucher cautions, if the only music studied is simple stuff such as, say hard rock. That musical stimulation may get the feet to move faster but won’t stimulate the brain cells. But if students are tackling something as musically complex as, say a sonata by Schubert or Moran. the good effect on other kinds of learning is consistent and demonstrable Similar findings are reported by Kevin McCarthy, dean of music at the University of Colorado. McCarthy’s studies indicate that au student musician’s rank higher in math, reading and language courses titan students who don’t study music. McCarthy says these results are based on observations of thousands of students, and are consistent among all ethnic groups and socioeconomic levels.

So if you want to see your children bring home better report cards and raise their SAT scores, make sure your school board knows the value of music. Don’t let it be considered a frill that lacks the importance of the three Rs.

This is not to say that art is not a fine and beautiful thing. It has its defenders and doubtless deserves them. But if anyone has found a link between art and learning similar to the good effects of musical stimulation, the research to prove it hasn’t come to light.

Until it does, remember that students who know their do-re-mis have a lot better chance to understand cosines, logarithms and the periodic table of the elements.

Music matters!