The Power of Music: The Effect of Music on Cognitive Abilities

1850 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: music's effect on the brain

Over 45% of people listen to at least 10 hours of music each week, according to a recent study by Lab42. In addition, a Gallup poll indicates in 2003 that 54% of American households contain at least one musical instrument player. It is evident that music is a significant part of people’s lives, but could listening to and learning music serve other purposes besides providing pleasure as an extracurricular hobby? Many have debated whether music is a valuable part of education. Currently, less than 50% of the nation's 8th graders are being taught the arts at school, and students are not achieving at high levels in music and art related activities, as reported by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Unfortunately, many people do not realize this fact or are aware but are simply not bothered by it. To some, music training should simply be an optional activity, and schools should not waste money incorporating it into the curriculum. On the other hand, supporters of music education point to the positive results of music training as evidence that it should be included in school curriculums. One such result is an improvement in cognitive abilities--brain-based skills humans need to carry out any task from the simplest to the most complex. Because listening to and learning music improves cognitive abilities, music education is a necessary component in everyone’s educational curriculum, since cognitive reasoning is the foundation for successful critical thinking skills.
One type of cognitive skill is spatial-temporal reasoning, the ability to visualize a spatial pattern and understand how pieces fit into that space. In 1993, Psychology professor at University of California- Irvine, Dr. Frances Rauscher and her colleagues demonstr...

... middle of paper ...

... Center, 2011. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.
Neisser, Ulric. "Rising Scores on Intelligence Tests." Editorial. American Scientist Sept.-Oct. 1997: n. pag. American Scientist. American Scientist. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
Ostman, Sarah. "Social Sound Bytes: Music Listening & Sharing." Market Research Blog Infographics Custom Research News Lab42. Lab42, 07 Aug. 2012. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.
Rauscher FH, Shaw GL, Ky KN. Music and spatial task performance. Nature1993;365: 611.
Rauscher, F.H., Shaw, G.L., Levine, L.J., Wright, E.L., Dennis, W.R. and Newcomb, R.L. Music training causes long-term enhancement of preschool children’s spatial-temporal reasoning. Neurological Research, 1997, vol. 19, p. 2-8.
Schellenberg, E.G. (2005) Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol. 14, No. 6, 317-320.
Schellenberg, E.G. (2004). Music Lessons Enhance IQ. Psychological Science, 15, 511–514.

Show More
Related

  • Why Music Education Is Being Cut

    1463 Words  | 3 Pages

    There have been many studies done to find how music influences a child’s development. The College Entrance Examination Board discovered that students who took music appreciation classes had higher verbal and math scores than those who did not take the classes. (Stephens 2003) The U.S. Department of Education found that in 25,000 secondary schools, students who were highly involved in the music program did much better in math than any other students. (Stephens 2003) These studies and more have found that involvement in music increases chi...

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Music And The Mozart Effect On The Brain

    935 Words  | 2 Pages

    The past research about the effect of music on the brain is called the Mozart Effect. The Mozart Effect refers to claims that people perform better on tests of spatial abilities after listening to music composed by Mozart. This experience examined whether the Mozart effect is a result of differences in stimulation and temper. (William Forde Thompson, E. Glenn Schellenberg and Gabriela Husain, 2001). A research was made by Dr.Gordon Shaw at UCI and Fran Rauscher about this Mozart effect. The experience is to use college students who listened to Mozart’s symphonies while they are solving a spatial temporal task. This task is a famous one: the paper folding and cutting test. The results were astonishing. In fact, all the students recorded impressi...

    Read More

  • Why Music is Important

    2175 Words  | 5 Pages

    Music education is important for several different reasons. Music is a very valuable resource for students and teachers alike. Research has shown that musical study improves a child's early cognitive development, basic math and reading abilities, SAT scores, ability to work in teams, as well as spatial reasoning skills (VH1, 2003, para4). Music helps students to achieve in areas of intelligence. “Feis, Revecz, the Pannenborgs, Miller, and others are unanimous in finding that musicality and high intelligence go together” (Mursell & Glenn, 1931, p. 20). Studies have shown that preschool children taught with music and songs have an average 10 to 20 points over those without, and by the age of 15 have higher reading and math skills. Another study showed that students that had taken a music appreciation class scored 46 points higher on the math portion of the SAT, and students who had music performance experiences scored 39 points higher than students without any music experience (Harvey, 1997, para13). Music impacts most other areas of learning. “The area holding the greatest prospects for transfer from music appears to be language arts.” (Hoffer, 1983, p. 46) It has been said that music helps concentration during reading. Music is an affective memory aide, because of its use of rhythm, rhyme and melody. Music for young children helps them to learn language because of the rhythms and patterns involved in learning the songs. The involvement of music in education can help to develop oral language skills, listening skills, and an increased vocabulary. Music can help the comprehension of language and basic facts (Dobbs, 1990, 341, 342).

    Read More

  • The Importance of Music Education

    1574 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Recent studies show that being involved in music classes makes it easier to learn other subjects and improve skills in other classrooms” (Brown, “The Benefits of Music Education”). A lot of people tend to overlook how much music education has an impact on the success of a student. Because of this, schools should be required to offer fine arts and music classes as electives for the students. Not only will this improve the students test scores, but it will also give the students a broader imagination and more creativity in and out of the classroom. In a lot of schools, fine arts and musical classes are the first to go when there are budget cuts. “Seventy-one percent of the nation’s fifteen thousand school districts have cut instructional hours spent on music and other subjects” (“State of the arts: should music and art classes be brushed aside”). Not only is it affecting the teachers who have specialized in the study of fine arts, it is affecting all of the students and parents who are actively involved in these programs. “Johnson, professor of music education and music therapy and associate dean of the School of Fine Arts at KU, found jumps of twenty-two percent in English test scores and twenty percent in math scores at elementary schools with superior music education” (Lynch “Music Boosts Test Scores”). With that being said, schools should be required to offer music and fine arts classes as an elective for their students.

    Read More

  • Music Influence

    1694 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many people do not realize the positive effect that popular music has on children. At a young age one of the breakthroughs for children is music’s benefit for language development. According to the Children’s Music Workshop, the effect of music education on language development can be seen in the brain. Studies have indicated that musical training develops the left side of the brain known to be involved in processing language and can actually wire the brain’s circuits in specific ways. The relation between both music and language development can also have advantages children. Listening to music can also improve children test scores and IQ levels. Dr. Schellenberg found that a small increase in the IQs of six year olds who were given weekly vocal and piano lessons. This leads to the fact that music is very helpful when it comes to education. Professor Christopher Johnson revealed that students in elementary schools with better music education programs sc...

    Read More

  • Music: The Positive Effects Of Music In The Brain

    1814 Words  | 4 Pages

    Music has been referred to as a universal language for the world. No matter where in the world one is, people can come together and appreciate a piece of music. This is because melody and rhythm have no language barrier. That is why we see musical acts sell out shows across the globe, not just within their home countries. People have favorite types of music for many reasons, but particularly as Sacks says “We turn to music, we need it, because of its ability to move us, to induce feelings and moods, states of mind. “(Sacks, “The Power of Music”) But how often do people examine what actually happens to the brain once music is heard? There are fascinating things that can occur within the brain when one puts on a piece of music. Certain types of music have a positive effect in the brain that concern anger,

    Read More

  • Music And Music: The Influence Of Music On The Brain

    677 Words  | 2 Pages

    Music has been said to affect a persons brain in many ways. It is said to change someone's mood in an instant. It has also been known to influence someone's lifestyle and attitude just by listening to one song. Music is universal and there is a style for everyone no matter how different people maybe. It is an outlet for creativity and motivation. Music moves people in so many ways and can help people through anything. Almost everyone enjoys music and it is a force that brings people together. A song can reach out to anyone in any situation and the person connects with the notes and lyrics. If someone is sad they can listen to a sad song and know that someone else understands them and that they will turn out alright just like the singer. Sometimes if a person is happy they can listen to a song that expresses just how they feel and they become even happier when listening to this song. A simple melody can do so much and i began to wonder why. The human brain is a very complex and fascinating topic especially with music involved. After a bit of research i began to notice that I had no idea how music works with the brain on a physical level. So i looked into how music is able to be heard by the human ear and how the brain can process this information. It is a simple task that many take for granted however, it is amazing that the brain can change sound waves into different sounds that humans hear. Eventually the topic that fascinated my mind was how music really affects the brain physically and emotionally.

    Read More

  • The Importance of a Music Education

    1371 Words  | 3 Pages

    Martin, Roy P. “Does Music Education Enhance the Developing Brain and Academic Achievement”. College of Education at the University of Georgia. 17 November 2011. Web. 22 May 2013.

    Read More

  • Benefits Of Music Education

    1673 Words  | 4 Pages

    Especially in children, the effects of music education can be seen very clearly in the brain. It physically develops the left part of the brain that deals with language processing and can change the flow of the brain’s circuits in ways that cannot be done with any other process. The idea is that the brain links familiar melodies to new information, not only quickening the learning process but also improving short-term memory (Brown, 2011). The whole process of mastering an art is closely related to a greater comprehension of language skills (Do Something, n.d). Students not given the exposure to music or other arts are often left with underdeveloped left hemispheres of the brain, making other components of school later on more difficult (Nuss,

    Read More

  • How Does Music Effect The Brain?

    1365 Words  | 3 Pages

    Schlaug, Gottfried, Andrea Norton, Kate Overy, and Ellen Winner. Effects of Music Training on the Child’s Brain. The Musician's Brain. New York Academy Of Sciences, 2005. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. .

    Read More

  • Music Education: Education, Socialization, And Musical Education

    1165 Words  | 3 Pages

    Music education can help students with their mental health and cope with possible mental illness. A very important tool in today’s society where more and more young adults are being diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorders. The growing epidemic of mental illnesses is still growing rapidly to the United States. By implementing a music credit requirement school districts can prevent the rate at which mental illnesses form and develop. It may also help reduce physical pain and be able to treat minor heart conditions. Music may also assist the children with their school subjects. Music makes it easier for students to understand and interpret school work and focus on what is important in their academic studies. Music also helps students with the multiple standardized testing that is prominant in school systems today.

    Read More

  • Music Education: The Key to Student Success

    1625 Words  | 4 Pages

    A school’s curriculum stands by the three “Rs” – reading, writing, and arithmetic – but what about rhythm? Because of budget cuts, many schools throughout the United States have thrown their chorus, orchestra, and band programs into the pile of the “over” and “done with.” In multiple cases, music programs get the boot just because there are no standardized tests for it. Schools like these could not be bringing a greater injustice upon students. Music programs are special in the way that they benefit every aspect of the pupil. It has been proven that music education better shapes the mind, body, and heart of all involved, making music unique and vital to the education system. Music education should be supported by schools because it promotes healthy living, improves brain function, and transforms students into better citizens.

    Read More

  • Why Is It Important To Keep Music Programs In Schools

    204 Words  | 1 Pages

    Many sources show that children that play some sort of instrument have improved creative and critical thinking skills. It is essential to keep music programs in schools. It is not only important for students to play music because it improves test scores, but because

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Music Education

    844 Words  | 2 Pages

    Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “Without music, life would be a mistake”. Music is almost as old as the human race and is as much a part of it as anything. So why would anyone choose to get rid of it? An Increasing number of schools across the nation are deciding to cut music education programs. This includes band, orchestra, choir, and general music classes. In 1991, 55.4 percent of public school eighth-graders took part in music classes at school. In 2004, this figure was just 49.1 percent. Money plays a huge role in this statistic: “...when funds are scarce, arts courses are usually the first to be dropped from a school’s curriculum” (“Arts Education”). While many argue that music education is an unnecessary cost for schools, it improves student’s overall well being.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Creation Art

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even when children learn music they able to listen, sing, dance, create movement. Listening to music draw out emotions, and playing music can be just like communicating emotions. Some people find this a very powerful experience. “ Music enriches the lives of students and should be considered a necessary part of education.”

    Read More

More about The Power of Music: The Effect of Music on Cognitive Abilities

Open Document